One Mod, One Seed, One Herobrine
by Kirbboy
Summary: I always liked Minecraft. Played it with my friends all the time. But I don't ever recall saying I would like to be playing Minecraft 24/7. And I have some people...I mean, human mobs...to keep me company. Maybe it won't be so bad. At least I didn't turn into a steve or something...
1. Wrong Map Seed

Disclaimer: I don't own even one thing aside from my OC's. Other than that, Nothing. Nothing at all…damn.

A/N: Here's an idea I had whilst playing the mob talker mob on Minecraft. Thought I would put this here, see if anyone likes it. If people do, then hey, I can make more! This chapter is actually kinda short, since it's really just a prologue sort of thing. So go ahead and read if you like.

Jeff's point of view:

School sucks.

These were my thoughts as my oh-so-generous teacher droned on about…something or other. It was history class, my most tedious and coincidentally last period of the day, until I would be mercifully released from school and allowed passage home. It was but a mere matter of time.

"Hey, Jeff."

My head turned upon hearing my name, to meet the smirking face of my friend, whom everyone just called DJ.

"Yeah, what's up?"

"Are you gonna play Minecraft today?" He questioned.

"I don't know, maybe?" I answered, confused. Why would he need to know? We played the game a lot, but he looked way too…eager. It disconcerted me.

"You should." He said, and went silent, turning to the front of the class.

"Why? Did you do some-"

"Do you have something you would like to say, Jeff?" I cringed upon hearing my teacher's voice, turning back to the front of the class to meet her frowning face.

"No ma'am…" I mumbled, shooting DJ a quick glare as he snickered.

And so I sat there for the next ten minutes, flipping my pen about, thinking about what DJ did. It wouldn't be the first time he did something to my computer…he liked pranks way too much. He probably downloaded some sort of mod to surprise me, and-

My thought process was then unceremoniously and rudely interrupted by the bell, as I quickly gathered my things and made for the door. It would be winter break after this, and I for one did not want to waste even one additional second in this god-forsaken place. It didn't take long for DJ to catch up.

"Looking forward to the break?"

"What did you do to my computer?" I changed the subject, directing a suspicious glare in his direction.

He held up his hands in surrender. "Hey, hey now! No need to get so feisty." He smiled. "I downloaded a mod. Trust me, you'll like it."

"Just like how I was thrilled by the nuke creeper mod?" I questioned. Oh yes, that map had lasted all of two minutes before a massive 34 by 34 chunk hole was born from a single creeper. Fun times…

"You needn't worry! This one is purely beneficial! I swear!" DJ assured me.

"…Alright." I said, relenting. If DJ was one thing, it certainly was not a liar. "So how do you think you did on your exams?"

DJ suddenly paled, losing his smile but immediately bringing up another, clearly forced one. "Um…good…"

"Right…" I awkwardly replied. Time to switch the subject… "So! You gonna join me in Minecraft, then?"

"Yeah! Can't let you have it all the fun to yourself!" He brightened upon the change in subject.

"Cool." I said as we reached the parking lot.

"So, can you give me a ride?" DJ asked.

"You know I can't. My license is still provisional. In a couple of months I can start thinking about carpools."

"Sucks."

"You're telling me. Why not get your own license? Are you too short to reach the pedals?" I asked poking fun he was the shortest of our group of friends.

"Are you a douche bag?" He asked, glaring at me.

"Alright, alright, calm down." I said, motioning to my car. "Either way, I can't drive you."

DJ began to walk away. "Well, can't be helped. Seeya online!"

"Gotcha!" I responded as I waved goodbye. With goodbyes out of the way, I quickly boarded my vehicle and made my way home; all the while my curiosity growing at what mod DJ had thrown in this time. When I finally DID get home, my curiosity was at its peak, and I quickly ran upstairs, into my room, and booted up my computer. It was then I felt my pocket vibrating.

"Hello?" I answered my cell phone.

"Hey! Is your server open?" The unmistakable voice of DJ asked from the other line.

"Yeah, I was gonna start a new map, just give me a minute." I responded. He really was eager. "Open a Skype call while I do this."

"Got it!" He responded, cutting the call.

"Patience is a virtue…but I guess I shouldn't be talking." I said as I opened up the window to type in a map seed. Sure, I could use a random one, but I like to think creativity is among my strong points. "Hm…Let's go with this." I mumbled, typing in a seed. "Begin!" I announced to no one as the loading screen popped up. I closed my eyes and leaned back in my chair as I waited.

'I wonder what mod DJ used this time…' I thought as I sat there.

'Huh…Is it cold in here?' I suddenly felt colder. How strange.

'It feels like there's a bunch of wind whipping against me…'

'Why do I feel weightless?'

'I feel like I'm falling…'

'Did I fall asleep?'

'I could just open my eyes and find out, actually…' And with that thought I did. Unfortunately the only thing waiting to greet me was unconsciousness as I felt impact with what could only be described as the cold hard ground.

DJ's point of view:

"WHY AM I FALLING?! IS THAT THE GROUND?! OH SHIT! IT'S COMING WAY TOO CLOSE! NO! NO! NOOOOOO!"

And with that, DJ's world went black.

Jeff's point of view:

"Ugh…" I mumbled as I slowly woke up. "What a wild drea…what the hell?" I looked around me. Blocks. **EVERYWHERE.**

"OH MY GOD!" I cringed as someone yelled.

"Hey, what's with all the yelling…DJ? Is that you?"

"Jeff? What-ow-Where are we?"

"It looks like we're in…Minecraft?" I said, hardly believing my words. That or a dream that feels extremely real. One of the two." I elaborated.

"Punch me."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Punch me. If I wake up, it's a dream." He explained. "Now, I know it must be hard to willingly punch a friend, but-" Any further words were silenced by a punch to DJ's face that sent him to the ground. "OW! What the heck?!"

"You told me to punch you…"

"I wasn't ready!"

"Then that's your fault." I said, walking over to a tree. "So if this is Minecraft…" I mumbled, punching the square tree's trunk, until a part of it broke, shrinking into a small cube, which proceeded to float to me and disappear. "Let's see…" I thought of he wood I had just gotten, and lo and behold, it appeared in my hand. "That's kinda cool."

"Why are you so calm?" DJ asked upon walking over, a piece of dirt in his hand, apparently having conducted the same test I did.

"Trust me, I'm freaking out on the inside. But we've been playing Minecraft for a while and know most of the stuff about it." I explained.

"So?" DJ asked.

"So, if we don't make a house skeletons will shoot us, creepers will blow us up, and zombies will eat whatever's left. And we're not even sure we'll respawn. I doubt it, seeing as we're not exactly just a bunch of game code that can be regenerated at the drop of a hat." I continued, looking expectantly at DJ.

"I see your reasoning. Though some of the mobs may not attack us…"

"What? Mobs attack you. That's what they do." I said as I turned to look at DJ after gathering al the wood from a tree. "Why are you grinning?"

"No reason."

"Right…well, we can worry about things like what course of action to take later. For now, let's make sure we live. Here's a sword."

"It's only wood!"

"It's also all we have. I'll get some raw materials like wood. You find the nearest cave and get some cobble, coal, and hopefully some iron." I ordered.

"Give me the tough stuff, huh?" DJ mumbled as he walked away. "Hey...what difficulty is this on?"

I hesitated for a moment. "Um...hard."

"OH WHAT THE DEUCE MAN!" DJ shouted. "As if things weren't going to be difficult enough! And you put it on hard!"

"Hey, how would I know this would happen? I just wanted a challenge!" I argued. "Besides, we can't change it now. We'll just have to cope with it." Dodging Ghasts would be really fun in the future, I could just tell...

"Fine..." DJ agreed. "I'll be back in a while! You better have that wood ready!" DJ shouted as he vanished from sight.

"Better get to work…" I said, relieved to find my iPod in my pocket, so I could at least listen to music so I wouldn't be completely bored.

Andr's point of view:

"This is a great find!" I said to myself as I looked proudly at the block of diamond I found. "I've never been that deep in a cave before, but it paid off!"

"The creeper's tryin' to steal all our stuff again!" I heard a voice…singing?

"Um…hello?" I said, peaking around a tree to see a human breaking a tree…wait, a human?

"And run, run, until it's done, done, until the sun comes up in the morning!" The human sang, walking to another tree.

"Excuse me, are you a…human?" I asked. I'd never seen one before…

"Have your sword, armor, and gold!" He continued, ignoring me.

"Hey! It's rude to just ignore someone like that!" I said, walking right behind him.

He began to turn around, the tree mined of all its wood. "So fight, fight, like it's the last, last, night of your li-OH MY GOD!" He suddenly yelled falling back as my ears rung, two small things falling out of his ears.

Jeff's point of view:

"OH MY GOD!" I yelled upon being surprised by a girl in all black with red hair standing behind me. "Who are you? Where did you come from?!" I asked in a startled state.

"I'm an enderwoman! I was trying to get your attention, but you kept ignoring me!"

"Ignoring…? Oh! I just had my earphones in. Sorry." I explained holding up my ear buds. "Wait…did you say you're and enderman?"

"NO! I'm an enderwoman!" She repeated.

"Well…you do look like a girl…" I mumbled, as she blushed.

"Obviously!" She exclaimed.

I sighed, "This is what DJ put in for the mod, isn't it?" I said, shaking my head.

"Who?"

"My friend. He went to go get some materials. My name's Jeff, by the way." I introduced myself. She seemed to brighten up.

"My name is Andr. Nice to meet you!"

"Andr the enderwoman?" I said, eyeing the enderman hat she wore.

"Yep!"

"So...What do you want from me?" I asked. Usually enderman kept to themselves. So, it was only natural that I was confused as to why an enderwoman would want to talk to me. Maybe they were more social or something.

"Well, the truth is that I've never seen a human way out here before. So I was actually curious to see what you were doing. I mean, there are the villagers, but they're not exactly human." She said, "You could also say male enderman are a little more...detestful."

"You mean that if you look at them wrong, they'll attack you?" I questioned, knowing full well the many times I had acidentally glanced at an enderman and he suddenly went on a warpath to kill me.

"That's right." Andr confirmed.

"Hey...is that diamond?" I asked, now noticing the block with diamond speckles.

"Hm? Oh, I found this in a cave." She replied. She noticed my enamored gaze on the block. I heard her sigh. "Do you...want it?" She asked, holding out the valuable block.

"What? Don't you need it?"

"Actually, no. It's just that I like unique blocks and, well...this kind of block is hard to find. You can use it better than I ever could." Andr elaborated, handing me the block.

"Gee, Andr...thanks." I thanked her. I knew full well how difficult it was to fi nd diamond, and this block would definitely help.

She smiled at me. "It's no problem. Be sure to use it wisely. See you later, Jeff." Andr began to walk away.

"Hey, hold on…do you have somewhere to stay?" I asked, thinking about how enderman seemed to simply teleport everywhere.

"Well, no. I really just teleport everywhere, just like any other enderwoman or enderman." She replied with a smile.

"Well then, want to stay with me? Me and DJ were just about to build a house. You can join in, if you want."

She seemed surprised by this. "Wait, you'll let me stay with you?"

"Is that weird? Sorry, it's not like I had anything dirty in mind, I-"

"No, it's not that." She interrupted. "It's just, humans don't generally accept mobs. I've seen that firsthand…" She seemed to have a faraway look in her eyes.

'She must have had bad experiences with humans before…I wouldn't be surprised. Most would kill for an enderpearl.' I thought to myself. "Well, I can't speak for everyone, but you'll be safe with me. I'm sure DJ will be okay with it too." She seemed unsure. "Oh, come on. It's the least I can do after you gave me that diamond block."

"Well…okay. You seem nice enough. And it's kinda cold out here…" Andr accepted, shivering slightly.

"Alright! Now come on, the site for the house is over here." I said, guiding her to a cliff. "I'm thinking we'll build into the mountain." I explained. It was then I noticed my short friend looking over the cliff. "DJ? When did you get back?"

"Oh, hey dude! Just got here myself…oh? Who is this? You prefer the enderwoman, Jeff?" He asked, smirking.

"I can assume this is the mod you were talking about?" I asked.

"Hey, at least it means we can get allies!" He said.

"I'm pretty sure you had something else in mind when you input it into my game."

"Perhaps." DJ responded, waggling a finger while giving a meaningful look to both me and Andr.

"Anyway," I said, shaking my head knowing what he was suggesting, "This is Andr, and she'll be staying with us."

"I can help build." Andr offered.

"Hey, no objections here. Make yourself at home. Well…guess we gotta make a home first." DJ noted.

"Then let's get started." I said, handing Andr some wooden planks. "We need to have this done before sundown."

With that, the trio got to work on the house, hoping it would be finished before sundown.


	2. Of Spiders and Discs

**Disclaimer:** I don't own even one thing aside from my OC's. Other than that, Nothing. Nothing at all…damn.

**A/N:** Well, it seems like there are some people who seem to enjoy reading this, so I figure it would be good to make more. That, and I actually have fun making this thing. This chapter is actually about double the length of the previous chapter because its not a...prologue, I guess. Oh, and to those who reviewed, I thank you profusely! If you per chance want to contact me for a question or something like that, feel free to PM me. Or, you could leave whatever it is in a review. Keep in mind, I don't know how often I will update, but I hope for it to be a week or less for each update. I'm sure you're sick of hearing me at this point, so please, enjoy the chapter!

Jeff's point of view:

"So you almost finished yet?" DJ asked as he sat on the grass, watching Andr and I working on the jumbo sized building. Night had already fallen, and we had not finished the house before nightfall as we had hoped. Due to this, we had concluded that DJ would guard the perimeter while Andr and I worked to finish the house as soon as possible. We only had the second floor to finish at this point.

"We could have waited to finish the rest…" Andr commented as she slid a block into place. "I mean why not just build a one story instead of building a big two story like this?"

"Don't try to convince him, Andr." DJ advised. "This is how he always does things. Build a bigger structure right off the bat instead of cutting our losses. Heck, he's being generous; this is actually considerably smaller than the norm." DJ finished as he bit into an apple.

"Really?" Andr asked, surprised.

"Let's just say I prefer to go the full mile." I responded.

"If this is what you consider small…I wonder what your other worlds are like…" Andr mused, curiosity showing.

"Friggin' awesome." DJ interjected.

"They're okay. But I have to say, this is the most interesting one so far." I added. "Sure, no giant floating steam punk ships, but we can get around to that later. The fact we were sucked into a computer game is what worries me." I commented, wondering if my family was freaking out at my absence.

"It's still hard to believe you guys are real users…instead of just avatars. Then again, you aren't blocky, so that's kinda a giveaway." Andr said.

"Neither are you." I retorted.

"That's because of a…what did you call it? Mod?" She tapped her chin for a moment. "Besides," She continued, "I couldn't imagine being all blocky…it looks like it would be hard to sleep like that!"

"Ditto."

DJ's point of view:

I smirked at the two's banter as the house was steadily constructed. "I knew he'd appreciate the mod." I smiled as I leaned back, lying down on the grass. I know I should be on guard. But, I placed torches all over the place so a regular mob won't go out of their way to-

"BOO!"

"HOLY SHIT!" I yelled as I shot up, tripping myself in the process, falling flat on my face.

"BWAHAHAHA! That was great! I really got you!"

I looked up to see a purple haired girl with a long ponytail and gray jacket pointing and laughing at me. What, did she find something funny? Is it because I possess that of a smaller stature? THE GALL!

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A TINY BUG THAT ESCAPES THE WRATH OF A SHOE BECAUSE HE'S SO SMALL THAT HE FITS IN THE GROOVES AND CAN'T GET SQUASHED!?" I yelled. She went silent at the outburst.

"Eh?" She looked confused.

"YOU'RE GOIN' DOWN!" I yelled as I lunged at the girl, sending both of us into a wrestling match that would decide the fate of my dignity…

Jeff's point of view:

"And…that'll do it!" I announced as the last block was put into place. "Not too shabby, huh? Nice teamwork, Andr!"

"It's great!" The Enderwoman agreed as we enacted a celebratory high-five.

"HOLY SHIT!" I heard DJ's screech…that sounded strangely girlish.

Andr and I traded glances as we ran to the side of the roof…to see DJ rolling around on the floor with a purple haired girl. "Come on." I said to Andr, indicating the stairs. It didn't seem like DJ was in any REAL trouble. By the time we got there DJ was in quite a…humiliating position.

"UNCLE! UNCLE!" DJ yelled as the purple haired girl sat on his back, hands pinned as he flailed his legs about uselessly.

She turned to us as we came through the door, looking suspicious, before her gaze softened upon seeing Andr. I guess DJ gave her the impression we didn't like mobs or something…

"Does this belong to you?" She asked, pointing down at DJ, who at this point had ceased struggling and was now lying there motionlessly, defeated.

Andr giggled as I answered the girl whom I guessed to be a female spider mob. "Well 'belong' is a strong word. He's my…friend." I explained. "What happened here?" I asked, wondering what had occurred to make things end up like this.

"I'm not really sure…I scared this guy and started laughing at him. Next thing I know, he's yelling something about how he's short and trying to attack me." She explained.

"I AM NOT SHORT!" DJ suddenly shouted his efforts to break free resuming full force.

"Shut up! I didn't even call you short!" The spider girl said, punching him in the head.

"So, what's your name?" I asked the girl, attempting to change the subject.

She smiled at me whilst holding the thrashing DJ down. "Ah, some manners. My name is Sabri. Nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you as well, Sabri." I greeted. "My name is Jeff, this is Andr," I motioned to the Enderwoman next to me, "And the person you are currently straddling is DJ." I finished, pointing at my friend whom appeared to have calmed down.

"Yeah, y'know, that's great and all, introductions and what-not, but how about you, oh, I don't know, GET OFF OF ME!" DJ yelled, clearly annoyed.

"Fine. Just don't attack me this time." Sabri ordered, stepping off the human. DJ grumbled as he got up. "So, nice place you have here. Who built it?" Sabri asked, indicating the house.

"Well, all of us did. Although, Jeff and I worked on most of it…" Andr replied.

"Hey! I guarded the house!" DJ countered.

"And you did a fantastic job of getting the crap scared out of you by a teenager." I added, smirking.

"Oh yes, a wonderful job indeed!" Sabri mocked.

"…I hate all of you." DJ mumbled, walking past us and into the house.

"Well!" Sabri started, "Guess its time for me to go. That was a good scare!" She finished as she stretched her arms, turning on her heel and walking toward the forest.

"Sabri! Hold on!" I stopped her.

"Hm? What's up?" She asked curiously upon turning around again. "Want me to scare your friend again?" She joked with a smile.

"No, it's not that." I said, pointing to the house. "I was actually gonna ask if you wanted to stay in the house with us. There's some extra room, and we got enough beds. And I'm sure it's a lot safer than running around in the forest." I finished.

"What's the occasion?" She asked, leaning in our direction.

"Think of it as an apology for my colleague's behavior." I replied.

She smiled widely. "Meh, I'm not as cold as to turn down such a thoughtful offer. I accept your invitation!" She said as she walked inside the house. "You have food right? I'm starving!" She added. From outside, we heard a faint voice. "Oh, hey shorty!"

I face palmed as I heard DJ once more. "What are you doing here? AND WHO'RE YOU CALLING SHORTY?!" I shook my head in bemusement.

"You're really nice, you know that?" Andr commented, as I turned to see her purple eyes.

"Eh, I'm not that great. I wouldn't label myself a good person. Just a regular guy." I said as I leaned against the house.

"Then why did you decide to offer to let Sabri stay here?" Andr pressed.

"That's just normal isn't it? To want to help someone, I mean." I looked at Andr with a smirk. "Besides, it seems to be a running trend that you mobs don't generally have a place to stay." Andr blushed.

"W-well…I never had a reason to stay somewhere before…" Andr mumbled.

"And you have a reason now?" I pressed. She looked into my eyes with her piercing purple ones.

"…I think I do…"

More might have been said, but the conversation was interrupted by none other than DJ. "Jeff! Andr! Get in here! We've gotta start thinking of a game plan!" Well, he certainly is the impatient one.

"Coming!" I replied, quickly making my way inside.

Andr's point of view:

I watched Jeff as he ran inside, instead of following right away. He was…definitely different from any human I had seen before. Though why did I feel so…odd right then? 'What…is my reason for staying?' I thought to myself as I looked contemplatively at the large building before me. 'What a beautiful night…' I thought to myself idly.

"Yo! Andr! You comin' in or what?" Sabri asked upon sticking her head outside the door. "They have food you know! It's delicious! You don't want to miss out do you?"

"Oh! Um…no…I guess not…" I replied nervously.

"Then come on!" She said, grabbing my hand and dragging me inside. I managed to close the door before we sailed past it.

"The Nether, huh?" I heard Jeff's voice as we entered the kitchen.

"That's right!" I noticed both DJ and Jeff seated at the table talking about…the Nether? "Minecraft's equivalent of Hell! I'm sure we gotta do something there."

"What makes you say that?" Jeff questioned looking pensive.

"Well, we're in a game, right? So let's think about it like a game! Just like beating levels, we have to beat zones! Like defeat something in the Nether, or the Enderdragon in the End. Something like that." DJ explained, writing on a piece of paper. "There must be something that brought us here. And I think I have a hunch of what, or rather who, brought us here." DJ concluded, holding the piece of paper up to Jeff's face.

He frowned. "Herobrine, huh?" Jeff noted. DJ appeared to have made a crude drawing of a blocky man with no pupils, the name, 'Herobrine' written above it.

DJ sighed. "What else could? He's not officially in the game, so we don't know where to look, unlike the Enderdragon. My bet is he left clues where he knew we would go." DJ suggested. "That's all I got, though. Other than that, maybe the villagers know something."

"It makes sense…I just wish we had some way of knowing we're going in the right direction." Jeff agreed.

I began walking to the table, until I noticed something on the kitchen counter. "Um…Jeff? What's this?" I asked, carefully picking up a disc that was in such bad condition it looked as if it might break any moment. His eyes widened.

"That's…"

"It looks just like the disc from the Herobrine mod!" DJ exclaimed.

"Herobrine, as in Herobrine: the grim reaper of Minecraft?" Sabri asked, looking a little disturbed herself.

"The very same." Jeff confirmed, taking the disc carefully from my hands, scrutinizing both sides of the small circle. "There was a mod that involved activating a disc which would call out Herobrine. It was either beat him in every battle, which occurred at random, or game over. Herobrine wins."

"We never actually took the time to play the mod, though. Kinda regretting that now." DJ added.

"I doubt it would make a difference." Jeff commented. "Looks like it's time to put that diamond you got to use, Andr." He said, pulling out the diamond and some wooden planks. "And there." He mumbled as a new block formed in front of him. "Anyone order a disc player?" Jeff joked.

"That we did." DJ confirmed.

"Hurry up and play it!" Sabri urged, looking like she couldn't decide whether to be eager or nervous. Before Jeff put it in, I spoke up.

"W-wait!" I called. Jeff looked up.

"Andr? What is it?" He asked, confused.

"Well…if it's like you said...Herobrine might appear and you'll have to battle him if he does, right?" I asked, as Jeff nodded. "I…I don't want the fist person who showed me kindness to get hurt…maybe even killed…" I held back tears. "I don't think…I could handle that…" I finished, looking down.

Jeff's point of view:

'Does she…care that much about me?' I thought to myself as I stared at the slightly shivering Enderwoman. "Andr." I said. She looked up at me as I walked over to her. Upon reaching her, I wrapped her in hug. "I'm right here. Look, if we put this disk in, and Herobrine does show up," I began, separating from her slightly to look into her eyes. "And things go from bad to worse, you have my permission to teleport me out of here if you feel like it's too dangerous. I don't think even Herobrine can match an Enderwoman in teleporting. He's not all-powerful." I finished as I stepping away from the red-haired teen. "Okay?"

"…O…okay…" She agreed, managing a smile.

"Well aren't you two just adorable!" I heard Sabri's voice as my face, and Andr's, went red.

"Should we give you some privacy?" DJ goaded, smiling from ear to ear. "I knew you'd enjoy the mod!"

"…Shut up…" I mumbled, walking back to the disc player. Andr merely tried to hide her red face with her hat.

I grew serious again upon picking up the disc. "So," I began, gathering everyone's attention. "Is everyone ready for this?" I asked, readying the disc in front of the player. They all gave an affirmative nod. "Well…here goes nothing!" I declared as the player accepted the small device and it slid into the block.

"….." All we heard from the player was a crackling noise, as if it was trying to play but just couldn't seem to manage to start it. This went on for about a minute until someone decided to speak up.

"What a rip o-WAH!" Sabri yelped as a gravelly voice began speaking, causing her to stumble back in surprise.

**"So…the new lambs come to the slaughter, do they? Hehehehe…"** A laugh came from the box, chilling everyone present to the bone. **"As you may or may not have already guessed…I am Herobrine, and this is a special message, from me, to you."** The voice continued. **"Now, now, don't be so jumpy. I'm only here to inform you…yes, I am the one who brought you here. But can you blame me? I just get so positively bored around here! And what better way to make some excitement than putting lives, REAL lives, on the line, hm?"**

"Bastard…" I heard DJ mumble.

**"Name calling? How immature…" **The voice responded…wait, responded?

"You can hear us?" I asked, staring at the block.

Another deep laugh originated from the block. **"Oh yes, quite clearly, I might add." **This caused everyone to gasp in surprise. **"Please, don't act so shocked. I AM Herobrine, after all." **

"W-what do you want?" Andr stuttered out.

**"No need to be so scared, young Enderwoman. I'm not here to kill your little boyfriend…yet. As I said, I am only here to give you all a message…or, if you prefer, a warning." **He repeated.

"Then get to it!" I snapped, walking over to Andr and putting an arm around her as she trembled in fear.

**"What a shame…I thought we might chat a little. Oh well! As for why I'm giving you a warning…the game would be no fun if I killed you straight out of the gate, don't you agree? I gave the others the same chance." **Herobrine elaborated.

"What do you mean others?" DJ questioned, eyes widening. Apparently he was thinking the same thing I was.

Another sickening laugh. **"Why, the ones who I brought here before you, of course! They were quite disappointing, really. The last three groups didn't even clear the first stage! I mean, how boring is that?! It's like they weren't even trying!" **He admonished, seeming to scoff.

"They were fighting for their lives!" Sabri shouted.

**"I know! And poorly at that! Disgraceful, truly! But enough about those pawns. I'm hoping you four rank at least a rook. That would at least provide more entertainment. I expect great things! Great things, you understand? Oh, I'm sure you do! I'm getting goose bumps just thinking about it!" **Instead of the previous laughing fits, he let out an extremely creepy one.

"Are you going to get to the main point?" I asked, getting annoyed.

**"You're right! Where ARE my manners? I need to give you the first clue! Well, technically you already found it, but I need to give you the information first!" **Herobrine explained.

"Information?" DJ asked, leaning forward.

**"Right! In other words, your first destination." **He paused for a moment. **"What's hot, full of ugly undead bastards, and smells like millions of burning carcasses?" **Herobrine questioned, awaiting an answer.

"The Nether." DJ answered with complete certainty, trading knowing glances with me.

**"DING-DING-DING! WE HAVE A WINNER! Someone give this boy a prize!"** Herobrine confirmed, mocking us at the same time. **"When you get there…well, I'm sure it will be perfectly obvious where you need to go. Oh, and bonus points if you save any of the others."** Herobrine informed.

"Wait, others? What do you mean?" I asked, fishing for information.

**"Didn't I already tell you? The ones who came before you! Sure, they may have been subdued, but they're not out of the game yet. Maybe you can help point them in the right direction, no? I mean sure, most of their friends may have died, but who needs friendship anyways? Totally overrated! Lame!" **He paused a moment. **"Some of the best ones even went alone, instead of a group, and got pretty close! I may have even lost track of a few, what with them getting battered and bruised and subsequently running from the trials they just couldn't live up to. So sad!"** Herobrine revealed, once again breaking into a fit of maniacal laughter.

"You bastard! I'll kill you!" DJ yelled at the block, clearly losing his temper at Herobrine's blatant dismissal of lives.

**"Oh no! I'm so scared! I'm just quivering in my boots! Please don't hurt me, mister!"** Herobrine mocked, before laughing once more. DJ was seething at this point.

"DJ, calm down. He's just trying to wind you up." Sabri said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Is that all? We have to go to the Nether, beat some enemy, and find the next clue?" I asked making sure I got everything, while trying to end the conversation as soon as possible. Andr was shaking in fear, and I didn't like seeing her distressed.

**"Let me think…hm…yep! That's everything! Good luck my four little rook pieces! Don't keep me waiting for long!" **With a final bout of laughter, the disc was launched out of the disc player like a bullet, smashing against the wall and breaking into so many particles of dust, which proceeded to vanish into thin air.

"Finally…I was sick of him." DJ commented as he looked angrily at the cube which Herobrine's voice had been originating from moments before. DJ looked over to me as Andr began to calm down. "I guess it's no question where we're going now, huh?"

"Yeah…" I mumbled, looking at Andr, and then to Sabri who looked a bit shaken herself. "Andr, Sabri." I said, getting their attention. "If you want to get away from us, because being around us could be dangerous in and of itself, I understand if you want to leave." I said. I didn't want to drag them into something like this. "I don't want to force you guys into this boat with us."

"Are you kidding?!" Sabri immediately responded, yelling at me, "You think I can just ignore this?! This guy is throwing away innocent lives like it's going out of style! No way, I'm coming with you guys!"

"But-" DJ began.

"DON'T TRY TO CHANGE MY MIND SHORTY!" Sabri shouted.

"SHORT!?" DJ clenched his fist, "WHO ARE YOU CALLING THE GUINESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS TINIEST SHORTY?!" DJ shouted back as the two lunged at each other and began another wrestling match. I smiled at this display of normalcy…it was far preferable to that damned Herobrine.

"Jeff."

I looked down to meet Andr's eyes glaring at me. "Um, yeah, Andr?" I don't know why, but that glare made me nervous.

"I'm staying with you. No arguments." Andr said in such a way I could tell it wasn't a debate.

I sighed. "Alright, alright, I got it. I won't bring it up again. I promise." I agreed as I scratched the back of my head in embarrassment. "Um…Andr, do you think you could…like…let go?" I asked, as she was still tightly holding onto me.

She went red as redstone in a second. "Oh! Um…Sorry!" She said, letting go and spinning around, hiding her blushing face with her hands.

"It's alright…" I mumbled, embarrassed as I was.

"So what's the plan for tomorrow?" I heard DJ ask as I looked down to find Sabri pinned underneath him.

I thought for a moment. "Well, I guess I would want to get some obsidian to prepare for the portal…but we don't have a diamond pick, let alone diamonds, so we can't get at the obsidian as is. So, we'll search for diamonds, I guess." I concluded.

DJ shrugged. "Okay…works for me."

"I'm fine with that." Sabri agreed. "Get off of me pipsqueak!" She yelled, throwing DJ off as he gave a cry of surprise.

"I think that sounds like a good plan as well." Andr agreed, now having recovered from her embarrassment.

"Then it's decided. Remember, this isn't just for us, but for all the others still trapped here, wherever they are." I reminded everyone as they nodded their affirmation. "That being said…" I began, "…It's actually pretty late. So, we'll sleep away the rest of the night and start searching tomorrow. I don't know about you fellows, but it's been an exhausting day for me." I finished, punctuating my sentence with a yawn.

"You said it!" DJ agreed yawning himself, "Y'know, they say if you watch someone yawn you get sleepy as well…is that true?" He asked.

"Dunno, but its working on me…" Sabri commented, blinking her eyes slowly.

"The same for me…" Andr agreed, stretching whilst yawning. I pointed down the hallway.

"We've got two bedrooms right now, two beds each. So, we should decide who goes where." I suggested, looking expectantly at the others. "I'll leave it up to you guys what you would prefer." I said.

"Um…I'll sleep in the same room as you." Andr offered with a light blush as DJ cracked a smile.

"Okay…" I agreed, "Then Sabri and DJ, you guys take the other room." I told them, walking over to one of the bedrooms and opening the door. Looking around the room, it seemed I had chosen the one with red wool and a bookshelf in the corner, with a couple of desks to the side. It also possessed a mirror. "Well, it matches my jacket." I noted as I removed the red garment, leaving me in my black T-shirt. "Andr, come on. It's important to get plenty of sleep. We've got a big day tomorrow." I informed while looking back at the group. I directed a suspicious gaze at DJ and Sabri. "No fighting, okay?"

"Geez, that's the first thing you think to say? Not 'good night'?" DJ scoffed.

"I'm awfully hurt." Sabri added, putting a hand over her heart as she pretended to look offended.

"Whatever." I rolled my eyes before disappearing into the room, Andr following shortly thereafter and closing the door. I noted that I faintly heard DJ's and Sabri's door close as well. "Hey Andr." I called, getting her attention.

"What's up?"

"It's funny. When I played Minecraft before this, I used to hate Enderman. Always attacking me when I accidentally passed my gaze over 'em…Never thought I'd become friends with an Enderwoman. Some surprises are nice huh?" I questioned, smiling.

Andr sported a smile of her own, looking at me from her bed. "Yeah…some are." She agreed.

"Then again, I suppose I never expected to see human mobs in the first place." I added as an afterthought. "I wonder what everyone's doing right now…"

"Everyone?" Andr asked, hearing my offhanded comment.

I offered a bittersweet smile, lying down on my bed. "As in, my friends back home. My family too…heck, even my pet lizard." I included, laughing a bit. "I love that little guy…"

"If you don't mind me asking…what is your world like?" Andr asked me as I looked over at her, "I-I understand if you don't feel like telling me! I mean we did just meet, so…" I held up a hand to silence her.

"Sometimes you don't need to know someone for long to know they're a good person. It's alright." I told her, turning my gaze to the ceiling. "Where to begin…" I mused to myself, thinking. "Well, I guess I can start off by saying it's not quite as…blocky, as this world is." I began. "There're also a lot of buildings. Replace the number of trees here with buildings, and that's around how many buildings my neighborhood has." I gave her an example, seemingly surprising her. "In addition, nights aren't totally dark. There are tall light fixtures called light poles that brighten up the night outside." I continued.

"Wow…I can't imagine that." Andr commented, looking intrigued.

"I'm not surprised. It's a lot different than this place. I'm probably not even giving you that clear a picture, I mean, I never thought I would have to explain it to someone." I explained. Another thing I often saw in my world came to mind. "Oh, yeah…also, people drive around vehicles called automobiles, which are essentially transportation devices with four wheels that expedite the process of moving from place to place considerably." I continued, "Additionally, we have something called school. It's a program utilized the world over, that was made to teach the youth of our world skill sets they need to succeed in my world. Things like Math, English, Science, and a variety of miscellaneous other subjects." I explained.

Andr looked confused. "Why do you have to do all that?" She asked.

I thought for a moment. "Hm…How to explain…okay, think of it like this," I began, "There are millions of people in my world, all trying to live a full, prosperous life. Due to this, my world has a system of trade using money. If you don't have money you can't buy anything you want, not even food. In a way, it's a little disturbing. If you don't succeed and make money using the skills you learn, you live off of trash cans and cardboard boxes." I took a breath. "Some people succeed more than others, and become rich. These people can afford luxuries, and live the dream of a carefree, wonderful life. The grim fact is that for one to succeed, many must fail." I finished.

"But…why?" Andr asked. "That sounds really sad…"

I shrugged. "It may seem sad to you, but for me, it's the reality. I don't have to like it, but I can't change it." I looked at her. "Honestly…I'm making it sound worse than it is. There are lots of fun things to do in my world as well, like play video games, hang out with friends, go to the movies, attend festivals, the list goes on." I admitted. "Unfortunately, you have to live it to really understand how fun it is. My explanations really don't do 'em much justice."

She looked pensive. "So…from an outside perspective, it looks worse." Andr deduced.

"Yeah, because isn't it your emotions that make you happy, sad, whatever? For you to have an emotional reaction to something, you have to experience it." I said. "Well, I guess there're books. You don't really need to see anything to react to those." I reasoned.

"My emotions…" Andr mumbled, then smiled at me. "I would like to see your world one day, Jeff." She said.

"Well, if I got here, I'm sure you can get there if you try hard enough." I said, also smiling, "And I'd be happy to show you all the good things about my world, Andr."

"You promise?" Andr questioned.

"What kind of man would I be if I turned down a beautiful lady?" I joked, causing Andr to blush. "I promise. If you ever come to my world, I'll happily show you around."

"Okay. Remember, you promised!" Andr stressed.

"I got it!" I assured her, turning to look out the window. "Ah…it's getting pretty late. We better hit the hay soon."

Andr turned to look out the window. "You're right. Like you said, we have a big day tomorrow!" She declared, offering me another brilliant smile.

"That we do." I affirmed with a smile of my own, before lying down and throwing the covers over my body. "Good night, Andr."

"Good night, Jeff."

And with that, the night came and went, and with it the first day of our crazy adventure began.

-The Next Day-

Sabri's point of view:

"Ah! That was delicious!" I said, satisfied as I leaned back in my chair. "Seriously, hanging out with you guys may be dangerous, but if I can eat stuff like this every day, it's a price I'm willing to pay." I finished as I looked across from me to see Andr seemingly just as satisfied.

"I appreciate the compliment." Jeff replied as he put some dishes in the sink.

"As do I!" DJ agreed, looking pleased. It had been DJ and Jeff who offered to fix breakfast, which I had assumed would just be cooked pork or something.

"I had no idea humans mixed food like that." Andr commented, looking over to the two cleaning and putting away dishes.

"In the human world, it's not so uncommon for people to cook. Admittedly, guys usually aren't good at it. But there are always exceptions; practice makes perfect, I suppose." Jeff replied with a smile.

"I prefer to make my own food…why wait around for someone else to do it? If I can do it, I can eat whatever I want, anytime I want it!" DJ declared with a proud smile.

Jeff nodded his head in silent agreement. "Well, we're finished here. What do you guys say we try our luck and find some diamond?" he asked, looking expectantly at the three of us.

"I'm good to go whenever." DJ replied, flashing a thumbs-up with a smirk.

"I'm ready whenever you are." Andr replied.

Looks like it's my turn. "Naturally, I'm ready too." I pointed to the door, "I'll go make sure there aren't any monsters waiting to greet us outside." I said as I walked to the front door. When I opened it I wasn't greeted with a clear view, a monster, or anything I was expecting. Rather, I was greeted by a tall, disheveled human with glasses taking residence on his face, a silver, flat square tucked under his arm, his other arm held up in preparation to knock. Upon seeing there was no reason to knock, he brought his raised hand to his face, pushing the glasses further up his nose.

"Hello," The teen greeted. "My name is Josh. Might I came in to rest for a bit?" he asked.

"Uh…" I hesitated, unsure how to go about this situation.

Jeff's point of view:

"I wonder what's taking her." I mused aloud.

"Maybe she couldn't figure out how to open the door." DJ commented.

"Hey guys!" We heard Sabri's voice from the other room. "Can you come here for a second?"

Me and DJ traded glances before we headed for the door, Andr following close behind me. Nothing would prepare us for what we saw.

There, standing in the doorway, was none other than my and DJ's best friend, Josh. His eyes widened upon seeing us.

"DJ? Jeff? Is that you?" He asked. Our response was slightly less dignified.

"JOSH!?" Both DJ and I shouted in unison. Looks like things were just getting more and more interesting…

**A/N:** Thank you for reading! I beg you, leave a review telling me your opinion!


	3. Explosive Results

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything about this subject, aside from my OC's, of course...I wished I owned everything, though...

**A/N: **Hey everyone! First off, I apologize about the delay in this chapter being uploaded. I got sick for a while, and this chapter was a bit more difficult to write, for whatever reason. Regardless, that is no excuse! Hopeefully, it won't take this long to upload another chapter! Anyway, I have a few things that need to be said. All positive things, I assure you!

**IMPORTANT: **A couple of people have brought a proposition to the table, one I myself have considered as well. As I'm sure you're all aware, Minecraft really doesn't have a fixed storyline. Due to this, there are not many canon characters, if any. I guess you could count the mobs in the mob talker as characters, but many of their personalities are fabricated. So, I was thinking I may accept OC submissions from you guys, my readers! Keep in mind, I already have some characters planned out that have yet to make an appearance. However, due to a lack of cast in Minecraft, I may opt to use OC submissions if anyone would like to send some. I may or may not use your character, but if I do I'll be sure to credit you for the creation. (I'll use your profile name on here to credit you, so I'm afraid guests cannot submit requests.) I'm accepting, at this time, submissions for both protaganists and antagonists. If you do choose to send a submission, you can do so in a PM or review. Be sure to include basic information, (Appearance, weapon, personality, age, etc.) and whether or not they are a protaganist or antagonist. If you have any further questions, don't be afraid to shoot a message my way!

Well, back to the main point, I would like to thank all those who have reviewed so far...without reviews, there is no way this fanfiction would stay afloat. After all, you're reviews are what motivate me to continue!

Enough of my rambling, please, enjoy the chapter!

Jeff's point of view:

"Josh! Is that really you?" I asked, surprised to be sure, but pleasantly so.

The glasses-wearing teen nodded the affirmative. "That's my name. I gotta say…I'm surprised to see you two here. Then again, I really shouldn't be." Josh commented.

"Why's that?" DJ asked curiously.

Josh held up a finger. "Maybe you could let me inside first? Right now, aren't we just tempting fate to send a creeper our way, standing here like this?"

DJ and I traded glances. "True enough. Make yourself a home." I said, as Josh stepped into the room, Sabri closing the door behind him. "Let's all sit down first; you look a bit worse for wear." I commented, noticing Josh's dirtied physique.

"You could say that," Josh agreed, sitting down on the green wool couch, the rest of us taking seats around the coffee table. Josh rested the thin square he held on the table before speaking. "I was lucky enough to regain consciousness in the middle of the night."

"How long were you out there for?" DJ asked, worried.

"About 3 hours, give or take." Josh answered, removing his glasses to rub his eyes, before putting them back on.

"How did you get here? In the game, I mean?" I asked, wondering how he got here at a different time than DJ or I.

"Well, it all started like this," Josh began, leaning forward.

-Flashback-

Josh's point of view:

"I'm back!" I called as I got home from school, though hearing no response. "Hello?" I called again, but to no avail. It was then I noticed a note on the counter. I picked it up and began reading.

Josh:

Welcome home! We'll be gone most of the day running errands, so you're on your own for the day. You can have whatever you want for dinner, just be sure to have something healthy with it!

Love, Mom

P.S. Be sure to close the blinds when it gets dark, okay? Thanks!

'I guess its soup for me today.' I thought as I shrugged, placing the note back on the counter. It was then I felt my cell phone begin vibrating in my pocket, as I quickly reached into my pocket and brought it up to my ear, greeting whoever was calling.

"Hello, this is Josh. Who is this?" I asked, before hearing the unmistakable voice of one of my best friends.

"Hey Josh! What's up?" DJ asked from the other line.

"You called me. Shouldn't I be asking you that?" I countered, smiling a bit.

"Oh ha ha. Hey, you wanna play Minecraft? Jeff and I are gonna get on." DJ asked as I begin walking to my room, depositing my backpack on the table along the way.

"I actually have some new hacks I was planning on trying out." I replied, "Once I finish downloading those, I'll be happy to. Just give me a bit."

"Don't you already have plenty?" DJ asked.

I smirked as I answered, "Plenty isn't the same as enough."

"Touché." DJ said, "Well, hurry up and get that done, then join us."

"Not a problem. Consider it done." I replied.

"Rodger dodger. Seeya!"

"See you." DJ and I exchanged goodbyes, as I then closed my phone and replaced it back within the safe confines of my pocket. "Well, no reason to keep them waiting. Let's hurry this up." I said to myself as I began opening the necessary windows on my computer to properly set up the hacks.

-Some time later-

"That took less time than I thought it would." I commented as I booted up Minecraft. "Is there server open…so it is." I noted as I spotted the correct server. "Join." I commanded. That was when I found myself spiraling down from the sky to meet the not so welcoming ground. I could only utter one thing before I fell unconscious upon hitting the ground.

"What?" It was then my world went black.

-End Flashback-

Jeff's point of view:

Josh leaned back as he finished his story. "That's how I got here. As for what I did after that, it's pretty basic. I fought off one or two mobs, and took shelter in a cave for the rest of the night. Oh, I also found these." Josh pulled out a number of items.

"Minerals?" I questioned as DJ inspected the goods.

"Let's see…coal, iron, wow, redstone too? And…diamonds?!" DJ exclaimed as he held up eight of the valuable gems. "Where the heck did you find these?!" He asked.

Josh smirked. "You know those hacks I told you about?" He asked, as DJ nodded. "They work. I used a diamond detector to get those." Josh explained.

"Wait…how did you use hacks?" I asked. That shouldn't be possible without something to operate them.

Josh looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well…they're not exactly hacks. Otherwise, I would have way more than just this. Think of them as perks. And as for how I use them…this came in with me." Josh explained as he held up the square on the coffee table. It was only then I noticed the HP label on it.

"Is that your laptop?!" DJ exclaimed, clearly just as surprised as I was.

"Apparently it came in with me." Josh elaborated. "Don't ask me how. From what I've observed so far, its wireless range allows it to implement hacks within a fixed area, so there are quite a few advantages, though with limits. I can't seem to do any game-changing hacks." He continued, "Anything that doesn't require a wireless connection also works on it. Word documents still work, for example. I activate the hacks by opening Minecraft, although all that pops up is a bar to type in something. I just type in the hack and lo and behold, it works."

"Wow…that's actually kind of awesome." DJ commented.

"It certainly helped me out. I actually used it to track down you guys." Josh explained. "Power isn't a problem either. Fortunately, it can be charged with redstone." After Josh finished his explanation, he moved his gaze to look at the two human mobs in the room. "Enough about me, though. I'm more curious about who activated the mob talker mod."

"It was DJ." I answered, looking at the one responsible.

"Oh, come on! It helped in the end, didn't it?" DJ asked.

Josh continued to stare suspiciously at him, "Something tells me that's not your initial reason for activating the mod."

"So…you're from Jeff's world?" Andr suddenly asked, Josh nodding in confirmation.

"That's right. You could say I'm part of their merry band of misfits." Josh smiled, "All we would need is Glenn, and the whole gang's here."

"If you fell in here…I wouldn't be particularly surprised if he showed up." I observed.

"So we should be ready if and when he does." DJ suggested. "Aside from that, we should get ready to go to the Nether, right? Until we take care of that, we can put other problems aside, right?" I nodded my head in agreement.

"Hang on." Josh suddenly spoke up, "Why is it so important that we get to the Nether?"

DJ and I sighed as we began the explanation of what had happened before he got here, and our rather unpleasant encounter with the strange being known as Herobrine.

-Undisclosed Location-

Third person point of view:

Herobrine was pleased. Excited, even. Sure these new…arrivals, didn't seem different at first glance, but he had this feeling about them. He didn't get those often anymore.

"You're just going to go with the regular order, then?" Herobrine turned to look at the person, or rather, creature that had spoken to him.

"Are you displeased with it?" He asked smiling in that creepy fashion his subordinates knew him for.

The creature shook its head, "No, not particularly. I am merely suggesting that changed variables always seem to make things more interesting."

"And I agree," Herobrine said, his smile only growing more disturbing, "But it seems the chess pieces have set themselves…surprisingly, with quite a small amount of influence from me."

"What do you mean? Are you suggesting those who have already fallen will attempt to rise again?" The creature asked, curiosity piqued, "But…will they join or oppose?"

Herobrine smirked, "The million dollar question! I simply cannot wait to see who will win…who will fail." Herobrine laughed a low, unsettling laugh. "Oh, we shall see…"

"You know, you can be exceedingly disturbing at times." The creature commented.

"Now that's just uncalled for…" Herobrine slumped as his own right hand man insulted him.

-Jeff's point of view-

"That is…very interesting." Josh said as he leaned back on the couch he currently occupied.

I shook my head, "Interesting is hardly the word I would use to describe it…" I looked up, "I've already had enough of Herobrine to last a lifetime, and I haven't so much as seen his face yet."

DJ pumped his fist in the air, "Look at it this way," He began, "I wouldn't want to leave before I punched that guy in his smug-ass face anyway. Then I'll see about leaving."

Sabri face palmed. "We haven't seen his face…how do we know if it's smug?"

"I just know!" DJ intelligently deduced.

As Sabri and DJ descended into another argument, Andr got my attention. "Jeff?"

"Yeah? What's up?" I asked, turning to her.

"Well, you said we should get some obsidian today. I mean, thanks to Josh, we already have the diamonds, so shouldn't we start to look now? Before the sun goes down?" She asked me, gesturing to the window. Of course, it was still plenty bright out, but that wouldn't last forever. Better sooner than later.

I nodded to Andr. "Always the voice of reason. Hey everyone!" I called, seemingly stopping DJ in the middle of a tirade, "Andr reminded me we have business to take care of. After all, we made plans, so let's follow through with them. First off, while it is surprising Josh showed up, it can only help us in the end. Additionally, it shows people can still come into this world." I traded glances with Josh and DJ. "Likely, that means Glenn, our friend, will show up. So, until such time that does happen, let's do something constructive. DJ, Sabri," I called, getting their attention, "You take Josh down into the caves with you, mine at least fourteen blocks of obsidian." I ordered, tossing DJ a diamond pick. "Josh, I would like you to use the diamond detector function on your laptop and gather some of the mineral. I have a feeling we'll need higher quality stuff than just wood and iron." I gestured to Andr and I, "We'll stay here and get more raw materials if need be. Work on the house, I'll probably start a cobble mine."

Josh nodded, "Just like our roles when we actually play the game, then? Fine by me." With that, Josh made for the door. "Shake a leg, guys." Josh ordered as both Sabri and DJ headed for the door as well.

"Be back in a while!" Sabri announced, suddenly sending Andr and I a sly look. "You kids don't do anything questionable while we're gone, okay?" Sabri laughed for some reason, while Andr blushed wildly.

'Maybe it's an inside joke…' I thought to myself idly as I turned to get some materials out of a nearby chest. "Good luck." I called just before the door closed, signaling our companions' departure. As I stocked up my inventory, a thought suddenly struck me. "Hey Andr."

"Um…yeah, Jeff?" Andr acknowledged turning with a light blush still present on her face.

"You don't have a weapon of any sort, do you?" I asked, thinking that it seemed Enderman would either attack with bare hands or a block they picked up.

Andr shook her head. "No. I used a block as a weapon before, though."

I laughed a little as I turned back to the chest I was rummaging through before. "That may be, but I don't think that really qualifies as a legitimate weapon." I began, finding what I was looking for. "So, due to your teleportation talents, why not give this a shot?" I asked as I tossed a bow over to the girl. "No pun intended."

"A bow? Skeletons use these a lot…" Andr noted, attempting to hold it the right way.

I gestured to the door. "How about some target practice?" I asked as I headed out the door, Andr following me out. "You might be wondering why I suggest a bow. Think about it, if you can teleport to any position within your line of sight, a marksman, or markswoman in your case, approach to fighting would be ideal, don't you agree?" I finished my explanation, stopping our trek a bit of the ways from the tree line.

Andr nodded her head in understanding. "That makes a lot of sense, actually. I wonder why no one thought of it before…" Andr then met my gaze. "But, I don't know if I'm any good at using a bow."

"Let's find out, then." I smiled. "See that tree over there?" I questioned, pointing at a tree a good number of blocks from our position.

"Yeah."

"Try hitting it in the center. In relation to where the branches begin and the roots are, I mean." I elaborated, stepping back slightly after handing her a quiver of arrows.

"Well…okay." Andr agreed. As she took a single arrow from the quiver now resting against her backside, she took up a stance in preparation. Surprisingly, the stance seemed for all intents and purposes to be flawless. As soon as she pulled the arrow back, priming her shot, she hesitated for only a few moments before letting the arrow fly, darting through the air and hitting the tree, burying the tip firmly into the trunk.

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. "Wow…looks like you're a natural." I noted as I observed the arrow, which had hit the tree, astoundingly close to the center Andr had been aiming for.

"Is that…good?" Andr asked, a little hesitantly.

"Are you kidding? That was downright impressive!" I complimented, causing Andr to blush crimson. "Your form was great, and your aim speaks for itself, really." I continued.

"T-Thanks…" Andr accepted my compliment, only becoming redder.

"Anyway," I began, sticking my thumb back in the direction of the house, "I'm going to expand the house a bit. Why don't you stay out here and practice for a while, see if shooting arrows really is your thing. Judging from what I've seen, it definitely seems that way." I finished, flashing a smile at the Enderwoman.

"Okay, I will." Andr agreed, directing a smile at me as well. "Be sure to make a spot for the Nether portal. Oh, Josh will need a room too, huh?" Andr noted, already preparing to fire another arrow.

"That he will. See you in a bit!" I said as I walked back to the house, pulling some wooden planks from my inventory. 'Wonder how the others are doing…' I thought as I entered my humble abode.

-Josh's point of view-

"Jackpot." I smirked as I uncovered a group of diamond. This would bring my count up to a staggering forty-two blocks of diamond. "Plenty to get by on…but who ever said plenty was enough?" I asked myself as I moved on through the cave, having left DJ and Sabri behind, as we could cover more ground more quickly that way. "Lucky." I noted as my laptop began beeping again, coordinates to some more diamond appearing on the screen. After I mined some regular stone out of the way, some diamond appeared just as predicted. "Bingo." I smirked as I mined out the precious mineral, bringing my count from forty-two pieces of diamond to forty-six pieces. Truly, everything was going just as planned.

"SSSSSSSSSSS!"

"Well, it's been nice knowing me. I was being selfish wanting more diamond, I guess. I only hope the afterlife is as good as everyone says it is." I said to myself as I heard the dreaded hissing of a creeper.

I waited.

And waited.

And waited some more.

"Seriously, now I'm just being made fun of."

"What, you want to die?" I heard a voice behind me. "Y'know, you're reaction was lackluster…you didn't panic at all!" I turned to see a girl, shorter than myself, sporting a green creeper jacket whilst looking rather displeased.

"Sorry to disappoint." I replied, "But I'd rather be mature in meeting my end." I pretended to straighten my nonexistent tie, putting one hand behind my back.

"Stop trying to act so cool…" The girl mumbled, pouting.

I shrugged, "So just so we're clear…" I pointed a finger at the girl, "You're not going to blow me up?"

She looked at me, eyes narrowed, leaning forward. I stared back impassively. "Hm…no, I guess not." She finally replied, turning away from me.

I raised an eyebrow, "Perhaps you could explain why?" I suggested.

"I'm not REALLY sure. I guess its cause you seem kinda weird." She explained, tapping her chin.

"How flattering." I rolled my eyes.

She looked back at me. "Coming from me it is. Trust me."

"Trust a creeper…I'll get right on that." I mocked.

"I can still blow you up, you know." She reinforced, glaring.

"Noted." I inspected her for a moment. 'Should I…eh, why not?' I thought to myself, coming to a conclusion. "When two people meet, it's polite to introduce yourself. I'm Josh." I introduced myself.

"Why should I tell you my name?" The girl asked. I shrugged. She slumped slightly. "Fine. My name's Cupa."

Seeing as she responded positively, I continued, "Well Cupa, would you care to come back to the house my friends built with me?" I asked.

"Are you looking for a date or something?" She questioned sarcastically, glare intensifying.

I smiled slightly, "Nothing so incriminating. Truth be told, I'm giving you the same offer my friend Jeff was giving. See, you're not the first we've asked. Living with us right now is a spider named Sabri, and an Enderwoman named Andr." I looked at her to find her seeming far more interested as opposed to moments before.

"Did you say Andr?" She asked, fixing me with a scrutinizing gaze.

"Yeah…from what I've been told, she was the first mob to join." I elaborated, "Could you perhaps…know her?" Cupa confirmed my suspicion with a nod of her head.

"Of course! We're friends! We've known each other for a long time, actually."

"That so?"

"It is so!" She affirmed, looking far more docile than before. "If she thinks its okay to stay with you guys, then I guess I can go with you too. If you're lying to me, though, I won't hesitate to blow you into a million little pieces!"

"Duly noted." I said turning back to the path I had taken to get here. "I suppose I learned from my first mistake…we came to get diamond, and I have plenty for now. That said I'm going back to the house. Care to accompany me?" I questioned whilst walking away.

"I already said I'm coming with you, didn't I?" Cupa retorted, catching up to walk by my side.

"That you did." I agreed, as we both made the considerable trek back to the surface.

-Jeff's point of view-

"So you just…left him there." I commented, sending DJ an accusing glance.

"What's with that look?" DJ asked as he put his feet up on the table, reclining in his chair as he ate a sandwich. "Josh is a smart guy! He'll figure things out on his own. Besides, he's got hacks!" DJ attempted to justify his leaving Josh in the mine.

"And you agree with him?" I asked Sabri next.

She shrugged, "I barely know the guy. I wasn't gonna just wait out in the mine for him all alone. He's the one who suggested splitting up anyway."

"That's just like him, isn't it?" I shook my head.

"See?" DJ looked over at me, "The situation is out of my hands."

I gave him a dry look. "Well, we have the obsidian we need. I guess we'll just wait here until he comes back." As if on que, we heard the front door open.

"Is that him?" Andr asked.

"That, or a really polite zombie." Sabri commented.

While we expected Josh to enter the room, what we did NOT expect was a girl with a creeper hoodie to enter. And promptly run over to Andr to latch onto her with a hug.

"Andr! It's been too long! How's it going?" The girl asked, letting go of the surprised Enderwoman and stepping back.

"C-Cupa?" Andr looked surprised before smiling, astonishment replaced with happiness, "Cupa! It really is you!" She announced as the two girls embraced each other again.

I scratched my head, "Hey…could we get some clarification here?" I asked, motioning to Sabri, who looked somewhat confused, and DJ, who had jumped to the other side of the room when the creeper hoodie sporting teen had ran past him. "What's going on?"

"Allow me to explain," Josh entered the room, adjusting his glasses as he did so. "I met that girl, Cupa, in the caves as I searched for diamond. I mentioned that Andr was lodging with us, and she claimed the two of them were good friends. Seems that it was true." He finished, motioning to the two girls.

"Oh…well, alright I guess…" I responded, glancing at the two mobs once more.

"Nice place you have here!" The girl I now knew as Cupa smiled at me, "I think I'll be just fine here!"

"You offered for her to stay here?" I asked, looking back to Josh.

The said teen merely shrugged, "What? You invite two girls here and I'm not allowed the same privilege?" He waved his hand about, indicating the house. "Besides, it seems you've done quite a bit of expanding. Its fine, isn't it?" He stared back at me expectantly.

I let out a sigh, "Yeah, its fine. Just one more thing…hey Cupa!" I called.

Said girl tuned to me, "Yeah? What's up?"

"You're not gonna blow us into miniscule pieces of flesh, are you?" I asked with a deadpan expression.

"Why does everyone ask that?" She retorted with a dry look, "But no, I won't." She answered, rolling her eyes.

"Excellent. On a different note, how long have you and Andr known one another? You seem pretty familiar with each other." I noted, motioning to the two human mobs.

Both girls brightened up at that, "Mhm! We've been best friends for a long time!" Cupa answered me, "We travel together a lot, but sometimes we get separated. Like when Andr gets carried away with teleporting to places…" Cupa shot an accusing glance at Andr.

The Enderwoman raised her hands in defense. "I can't help it! As an Enderwoman, it's what I'm meant to do…" She elaborated.

"Hmph! On top of that, you didn't tell me there was a comfy-cozy house available for living in! I'm hurt, Andr!" Cupa pretended to look hurt. Though I could tell she was joking, Andr seemed to take it seriously enough.

"I-I'm sorry Cupa! It'll never happen again, I promise!" She apologized, tugging on the creeper girl's sleeve.

"Haha! Geez Andr, I'm just joking! You're way too easy to tease, you know that?" Cupa laughed while patting the Enderwoman on the head, whom looked quite indignant.

"Uuuu…" Andr made a disappointed noise, slumping slightly at Cupa's teasing.

DJ was laughing as well, and I managed a few chuckles. Josh simply smirked widely. "Well, make yourself at home here. You can choose any room you want to sleep in, and store whatever personal items you may have in there." I explained.

"Don't mind if I do! Hey Andr, wanna take a room with me?" Cupa asked the red haired girl.

"Um…actually, I'm rooming with Jeff, so…" Andr told Cupa whilst a light blush overcame her face.

Cupa raised an eyebrow at that, looking between Andr and I before a wide smile adorned her face. "Is that so…? How nice. Huhu…" Cupa let out a small chuckle that appeared far too mischievous for my taste. "Well, don't let me interrupt you're fun, Andr." Cupa commented, Andr's blush intensifying somewhat. All I could do was wonder what Cupa was saying that caused Andr such a reaction. "Looks like I'm rooming with you, Mr. Impassive!" Cupa then announced, rounding on Josh with a finger pointed in his direction.

"Might I ask why? There is more than one room available, you know." Josh informed the girl, "And it's Josh. I'm not that impassive."

Cupa sent him an indignant glare, "Everyone else is rooming together! So I choose you. Everyone else is taken." Cupa declared.

"I'll switch." DJ offered.

"In the face of unpleasant alternatives, I'll agree to room with you Cupa." Josh suddenly complied, as DJ slumped at being shot down so easily.

"Yeah, you won't get away that easily." Sabri suddenly appeared next to DJ, smiling widely, "You're way too fun to make fun of, short stack."

DJ grew enraged. "WHO'RE YOU CALLING A SHRIMP SO SMALL HE COULD RIDE ON THE BACK OF A GRASSHOPPER?!" He yelled as he launched himself at the girl, who simply stepped to the side, causing the angered teen to collide with the counter.

I stifled my laughter as Andr tapped my shoulder, "Hey Andr. Something up?" I asked upon turning to her.

"I was just curious…did you end up finishing the portal?" She asked.

I grew solemn upon hearing that. "Yeah…I did. All the gear is ready, too." I frowned slightly. "As much as I wish we could delay it…I guess we should at least go scout the place, huh?" Andr nodded her head in agreement. "Just one thing I need to make sure of. Hey Cupa!" I called to the girl, whom turned to look at me. "Look, if you-" I started, before she held up a hand, signaling me to stop.

"Spare me the details, okay? Josh already told me what was going on with that Herobrine guy. He's always pissed me off anyway…it'll be fun to shove an explosive down his throat." She explained. I nodded my head in compliance.

"You seem awfully confident." I noted.

She shrugged. "Call it optimism."

"Hey, works for me." I agreed. "Anyway, the reason I bring this up…I finished the portal to the Nether." I announced to the group, all those gathered growing serious upon the news.

"Are you saying we should attack now?" DJ asked me.

I shook my head, "Nothing so extreme. Rather, I was thinking that we should scout out the place, and make sure the spot where our portal spawns is safe." I shared a lance with DJ and Josh. "We've had enough surprises when it spawns in the open."

Josh nodded. "Sounds like a good plan for the moment. I'm in."

"Me too." DJ said.

"I'm not leaving you to go without me…" Andr declared, glancing at me.

"Then I will too!" Cupa smirked.

Sabri flashed a thumbs-up. "I don't wanna miss out on the fun either!"

"Fair enough…Everyone, follow me." I ordered, walking in the direction I had placed the portal. I had decided it would be best to place it underground, in the technical 'basement' of the house. Somehow, I felt it fit the mood to place it there.

"Lava?" DJ noted upon seeing the substance two blocks in the walls, safely encased behind glass.

"Fitting, isn't it? It gives a feeling of foreboding, huh?" I asked, turning around as I reached the portal.

"Cause that's how I want to feel…" DJ mumbled in annoyance. "We going now?"

"As soon as everyone selects a weapon and whatever armor they want." I explained, indicating the two diamond picks resting on my back. "The chest holding all that good stuff is right there." I pointed to a chest left of the portal.

"I'm ready to go." Andr announced without looking at the chest, walking to stand by my side.

"No armor?" I asked, glancing at the bow and numerous arrows in her possession.

She shook her head in the negative. "Nope. All I need is this. Armor would just slow me down."

"Meh, fair enough." I relented, seeing as I had no place to talk. All I had in the way of armor were diamond shoulder pads anyway.

It wasn't long before everyone had decided on something. DJ had chosen a diamond helmet and boots, and some diamond gauntlets that did not only cover his forearms, but hands as well. He justified his case by saying that there was nothing quite like punching the living daylights out of someone's skull. Josh had foregone armor as well as weapons, only bringing his laptop and a slew of potions. Sabri had fashioned what appeared to be the tip of a spear, the only difference being that instead of being attached to a wooden pole, it was attached to a long line of string so that Sabri could use it, as she put it, more effectively. I opted to reserve judgment until I saw what she could do with such a weapon. Cupa had simply taken one diamond helmet, and a considerably large amount of sticks of dynamite. I dared not comment on that.

"Everyone ready? I called, turning to the portal. Hearing only responses of affirmation, I stepped through the Nether, everyone else coming through just as quickly. I first noticed that this appeared to be a more open Nether, the ceiling far above our heads. The second thing I noticed was far less pleasant.

"GHASTS!" DJ shouted, jumping to the side as a large fireball decimated the ground he had been standing on moments before, turning the Nether blocks into small cubes.

"Andr! See what you can do about those! I'll cover you!" I shouted.

"Okay!" Andr agreed, firing some arrows at one of the many ghasts, as it fell with a chilling cry of agony under the onslaught. I stood close to her, deflecting any stray fireballs from the ghasts with my dual pickaxes. I suddenly heard a loud explosion, accompanied by the pained cry of a ghast. I looked over to see Cupa with a wide smile on her face.

"Seeya later you stupid jellyfish!" Cupa taunted as she lit and tossed another stick of dynamite at the ghasts. My eyes grew wide as I saw a fireball honing in on the girl from behind.

There was no reason to worry however, as Josh quickly came to stand by the creeper girl, typing a command on his computer which caused the fireball to fly off-course, hitting the ground harmlessly to the side. "Be more careful." Josh advised. "While I can deflect the fireballs, I can't send them directly at the ghasts."

"That's fine!" Cupa said, "You defend me and I'll blow them to hell! Or…out of hell, I guess. Thanks for the save!" Cupa resumed tossing dynamite. Josh shook his head in annoyance, but nonetheless continued to send the fireballs away from both Cupa and himself.

"DJ! Sabri!" I called, gathering their attention. "Try to build a cobble house around the Nether! We can't let the ghasts deactivate it!"

"Roger! Come on DJ!" Sabri complied as did DJ, both running for the portal.

"There's only a few left! Let's keep it up!" I encouraged as the second to last ghast was suddenly engulfed in an explosion, crying out just like those before it and quickly degenerating into naught but some gunpowder and a ghast tear.

Unfortunately, it was here we would find not all mobs would behave in the way we knew them to.

The last ghast suddenly let out a deafening screech, diving down toward us. "LOOK OUT!" I shouted as the ghast drew closer, when it suddenly stopped its descent, flying just above the ground and making a beeline straight for…

…The portal…

"DJ! SABRI! GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Josh had apparently noticed the danger as well, shouting a warning to the two. It seemed the two had heard us in time, as both dove away from the portal, narrowly being avoiding the ghast who crashed into the frame, letting loose with a flurry of fireballs that engulfed both the portal and itself in numerous explosions.

Then, with the familiar pained cry of the ghast, the explosions ceased. In its place was one piece of gunpowder, a ghast tear, and a deactivated portal frame. Andr turned to me with a worried expression. I simply spoke the words swimming in my mind.

"We're trapped in the Nether…"

**A/N: **Don't you just adore cliffhangers?

Once again, if you have any submissions send them in a review or PM. And by all means review! It's what keeps me going!

Constructive criticism is appreciated, but please no flames. No one likes those.

Until next time, Kirbboy.


	4. Not Alone

**Disclaimer: **I own a grand total of nothing, save my OC's. All OC's belong to their respective creators.

**A/N: **Okay everyone! I'm here with chapter number four! I don't have much to say, other than of course thanking all of you for you're wonderful reviews! Those are what keep this story going, after all! Actually, I should probably mention that I am still accepting OC submissions, both for antagonists and protagonists. Additionally, this is the first chapter that includes an OC that I did not make myself! However, for the sake of surprise and suspense, I'll be putting the list of OC's and their respective creators at the end of the chapter. Keep in mind, if you're submission is not on the list, it does not necessarily mean they will not be accepted. Also, feel free to submit more than one OC. There isn't a limit. Remember, just send any submission in a review or PM!

That's all I really had to say. Once again, a huge thank you to all who reviewed! This story would not continue without you! Now please, enjoy the chapter!

* * *

-Jeff's point of view-

"So that's where we need to go?" Andr asked as we gazed at the massive construct that was this world's Nether fortress. Calling it a Nether fortress, from my point of view, was hardly accurate; it was massive, and resembled more of a medieval castle than it did the usual walkways and buildings that made up the dark red structure normally.

I nodded, refusing to tear my eyes away from the intimidating presence the structure held. "Look's that way. The only way I could be more certain is by getting a letter telling me this is the place, signed by Herobrine himself." As my eyes roamed the walkways I could see, I took note there were multiple access points. None seemed any better than the other, as they all lead to the same massive gate situated at the base of what I assumed to be a wall guarding against access, or prying eyes, from the outside. Additionally, numerous Blazes and zombie pigmen continuously patrolled the pathway, and one would do well to notice the ghasts floating serenely above the pathways. "What really worries me is that they don't normally look like this. Some parts are familiar, but I've never seen anything like that structure in the center before."

"What do you think it could be?" Andr looked up at me inquisitively, never having seen so much as a Nether fortress before.

I glared at the structure. Having played a variety of video games in the past, it wasn't hard for me to guess at what the structure might be. Or rather, what I was sure it was. "Based on what Herobrine said earlier," I began, thinking back to Herobrine's referencing to stages, "I would have to guess that it is where the boss of the so-called stage resides." I finished, taking out my cell phone from my pocket and beginning to snap some photos of the area. I had to admit, I was relieved to find that the small, portable device worked here, much like my iPod did.

"Boss?" Andr seemed confused. I had to remember that she wasn't used to video game lingo like my comrades from our world were.

I nodded my head. "That's right. See, if what Herobrine said is true, about there being 'stages' to our adventure here, we can assume that to clear the stage, we have to accomplish some sort of task." I turned to Andr, noticing that she seemed to understand so far.

"So we have to do something special to move on to another place?"

"Correct. Chances are Herobrine opted to use the most difficult of obstacles. Which is to say, he put some sort of enemy at special junctions within each of these stages." I motioned toward the sprawling red fortress. "Just like this one."

"But there are enemies there right now. What's so special about one we can't see?" Andr asked innocently.

"See, that's where the term 'boss' comes in." I pointed at a group of Blazes milling about. "While we can see all these, and thusly know what they are, and predict their actions, the idea of hiding a boss enemy is so we can't prepare as effectively. Not only that, but the likelihood is the boss is very unlike any enemy that exists in this world, with entirely different abilities when compared to normal mobs. That's what makes defeating them an accomplishment. Oftentimes in games that utilize stages, once you defeat the boss of a stage, you unlock the next one." I looked out to the fortress once more, "That brings you one step closer to the final boss…in this case…" I clenched my fist, "Herobrine."

Andr placed a hand on my shoulder. Looking to her face, I realized she had a troubled look on her face. I should be sure my anger doesn't get the better of me. "So is there a way to prepare for…the boss?" Andr voiced the term uncertainly, not used to the word.

I smirked. "Well, not exactly. But, that isn't to say there is absolutely no way to prepare." I held up a finger. "The idea is to take information from the environment and the regular enemies, and guess the boss's abilities from that. One, the lava."

"The lava?"

"Right. Oftentimes the environment in a boss room is similar to that of the stage. In other words, we should bring lots of cobble to either block lava or make makeshift platforms above lava, in the circumstance there is a considerable amount of the stuff. While I would love to just bring water, that's impossible in the Nether. Second." I held up two fingers. "The enemies. While we can't generally predict the bosses actions based on this, we can predict its form of attack. There are Blazes. Expect the boss to be fire elemental, and thusly resistant to fire, and likely with the ability to generate it. Take note of the Ghasts. It may have the ability to fly, and likely utilizes projectile attacks. Magma cubes. It may be able to split off into multiple enemies, or spawn soldiers. Lastly, the pigmen. Even I don't really know what that entails, but it may suggest the boss may go into a sort of rage if we hurt it too badly."

"So we just have to counteract all that, right?" Andr asked.

I shook my head. "Unfortunately, no. We can make all the guesses we want. But that's all they are. Guesses. A running trend with all bosses regardless of what game you play, they all have one thing in common. Third." I now raised three fingers. "They always have something up their sleeve. Something unpredictable. So, the key to defeating a boss is to be careful. If you let down you're guard, that's all the boss needs to unleash something you didn't see coming, and take you out of the game. Permanently." I narrowed my eyes at the massive structure. "In this game where lives are at risk…we can't afford that mistake."

Andr looked uneasy. "That sounds bad…" She looked up to me.

I looked back at her, a wide smile plastered on my face, "Sure, it sounds bad. Chances are it'll be worse than bad. But I know one thing for sure. DJ, Josh, and I have played quite a few video games. We've beaten bosses before. This one will be no different."

Andr returned my smile. "Okay…then…I believe in you, Jeff!" I had to look away to hide the embarrassment I felt at the amount of trust she put in me.

"W-well…we'd better go back. We don't want to make them worry about us." I announced, changing the subject.

"Mhm!" Andr nodded in the affirmative, coming to walk by my side as we headed back to the cobblestone-protected portal.

* * *

"How could you forget?"

"It just slipped my mind, alright? Sometimes you forget things…"

"You don't forget the FLINT AND STEEL!" DJ yelled at me, standing in the makeshift, admittedly small cobblestone room that had been built around the deactivated portal.

"Look, I admit that I am at fault here somehow," I began, glaring back at DJ, "But I doubt you're yelling is going to make things any better." At my statement, DJ sat back down whilst making a displeased sound. I couldn't really blame him. It was a pretty big lapse in judgment that I had forgotten the flint and steel…you simply did not go into the Nether without said materials. I turned to the left upon hearing a disappointed sigh.

Josh shook his head, closing his laptop as he did so. "It's no good. I don't have any hacks that can generate objects. Anything short of creative mode would be wholly useless in doing so."

"So…all we can do is wait here for someone to go through the portal?" Andr asked from beside me, seeming downcast.

"Unfortunately." Josh deadpanned, clearly displeased by the current situation. "Unless someone else who came into this world just _happens _to come across our portal, and consequently use it as well." He shook his head, "Not likely."

"Well that's just great!" DJ shouted, seeming somewhat pissed.

"Calm down shorty." Sabri shot an annoyed glance at the boy. The two didn't even bother to fight.

"So…what is our plan, right now?" Cupa finally spoke up, playing with a dynamite stick. "Are we just gonna sit here and wait? Cause that seems really boring…"

"Like I said, we don't have any other choice. Hell, we'll be lucky if someone finds our portal within two days. Chances are…" Josh began, and would have said more, if the portal hadn't suddenly regained the telltale glow of its activation. "…So maybe I was wrong."

As expected of the portal's activation, someone appeared in the portal, hopping off the frame quickly. The teen was wearing mostly black clothes, with a large diamond sword resting on his shoulder. Well, it may be inaccurate to call it a diamond sword, considering the diamond only covered the outside edges of the blade, while in the center there was a column of obsidian. It made me think of the overly large swords that were so often portrayed in anime. The most notable thing about this newcomer was his spiky hair…as we had all predicted, our friend Glenn had followed us to this world as well.

"Hey Glenn, what's up?" I asked him nonchalantly, as if we were passing by on the street.

"Why don't you react to anything?" Glenn suddenly asked me. I shrugged.

"I react to more things than Josh. Besides, we were expecting you to show up at some point, given the circumstances." I explained. It was DJ's turn to speak up next.

"Given the circumstances?"

"Well, Josh showed up, so we figured you would too." I elaborated.

"Process of elimination." Josh added.

"How'd you get here, anyway?" DJ asked the much anticipated question.

Glenn frowned, "Well, after spawning in the friggin' **sky,** I hit the ground and blacked out for who knows how long. When I woke up, I walked around for a while and found a house, which I assume to be yours at this point. I found some materials, and made some supplies for myself," He gestured to his diamond/obsidian sword, "And out of curiosity, went to check out the Nether portal I found." He looked around for a minute, taking in the different individuals. "Did you guys…get trapped here?" He suddenly asked, putting the puzzle pieces together.

"Did you bring flint and steel with you?" DJ asked Glenn, ignoring his question.

Glenn rolled his eyes, the object appearing in his hand. "Yeah. You always bring flint and steel when entering the Nether."

DJ shot me an accusing glare which I chose to ignore, "To answer your question, we did get trapped here. When we came through, a bunch of ghasts attacked us. The last one got a lucky shot in and took it out…"

"Lucky shot? The thing rammed the damn portal!" DJ interrupted.

"Yes…well anyway, that's how it was. Things are a little tougher than expected." I further explained. Glenn suddenly grinned.

"I guess it's a good thing I'm here then…You're all hopeless without my help, huh? Let me show you how it's done." Glenn strolled confidently from the safety of the cobble house, "As you can see, I'm prepared. Just leave everything-" Glenn was suddenly cut off as something white and surprisingly small swooped down and snatched Glenn from where he stood, his diamond/obsidian sword clattering uselessly to the floor.

"Hey…what just happened?" DJ asked after a few moments.

"I would guess Glenn was just kidnapped by something or other." Josh hypothesized, pushing his glasses up.

"Hey…shouldn't we try to help him?" I questioned, the three of us trading glances as we stood there.

A few moments passed with none of us budging.

"Geez you guys! We'll check!" Sabri suddenly spoke up as she and both Cupa and Andr emerged from the safety of the cobblestone house we constructed around the portal. We simply shrugged in unison as we all made our way outside after them. Upon emerging from the temporary house, it didn't take long to find our friend flailing about in the air, being held up by a white-haired girl. She appeared to be wearing a white dress, and what seemed to be a ghast hat taking place comfortably atop her head. We might've found the situation comical if Glenn's life wasn't in potential danger.

"HEY! WHAT"RE YOU ALL STANDING AROUND FOR!? HELP ME OUT HERE!" Glenn shouted as he hung dangerously high above the ground. Seeing this, Josh decided to try talking first. After all, this appeared to be like Andr, Cupa and Sabri. A potentially friendly mob.

"Excuse me miss! But would you mind letting down our friend?" Josh asked, opting for the diplomatic approach. The girl put a finger on her chin as if considering the idea, causing Glenn to let out a yell of surprise as he was now held up by only one arm. Seeming to come to a decision, she brought her hand down and grabbed Glenn's free arm.

"No." The girl simply stated.

"Might I ask, why not?" Josh pressed, eyes narrowing the slightest bit.

She looked down at the distressed teen in her clutches, seeming extremely deep in thought. "I like him. He's mine…" She elaborated, quickly turning away and flying off, in the direction of the fortress Andr and I had scouted earlier, I noted.

"Hey! HEY! HOLD ON!" DJ shouted, to no avail. "Crap! What do we do?" DJ turned to us.

I glared at the direction the girl had disappeared to. "We go after them. Follow me, I know a way to access the fortress in this Nether. That's where she was heading." I eyed the large sword Glenn had dropped. "Can someone get that?"

"I got it." Josh typed on his computer, the sword disappearing in a flashy display of polygons. "I have a hack for increased storage space." Josh explained.

"Hey! Let's hurry up, huh?" Cupa shouted, snapping us all into action as Andr and I darted to where we knew the fortress was, everyone else following only steps behind.

It didn't take long for us to reach the fortress, though the sight was far more imposing at eye level than at bird's eye view. Zombie pigmen roamed across the pathway aimlessly, but we all knew that would change on our first successful hit. The Blazes spattered here and there didn't make us feel any better, nor the ghasts already turning to begin their first volley of fireballs, aimed at none other than our merry band of misfits.

"Well, this looks fun." Sabri sarcastically remarked, spinning her chain blade around, the blade gaining speed with each revolution.

"Heh! This'll be our first big piece of action so far! No way am I backing down from this!" DJ declared, smashing his gauntleted fist into the open palm of his other gauntlet.

"Andr, Cupa, I want you to take out those ghasts. Josh, be sure to deflect any projectile attacks that get too close. DJ, Sabri, and I will take care of the cannon fodder." I ordered as I readied my dual diamond pickaxes.

DJ smirked, "Time to roll out the red carpet!" He announced as the three of us lunged forward, tearing apart the first group of enemies under our simultaneous attacks. The normally potent threat of projectiles was quickly dispatched as they suddenly changed course, launching harmlessly away from our group. The mobs who had been intending to dole out damage suddenly found themselves on the receiving end of a relentless barrage of both arrows and TNT. The TNT and arrows made a perfect combination. While the arrows made up for the much slower rate of thrown TNT, the TNT made up for the lower damage the arrows dealt. While there was no rhyme or reason to the forward assault team of three's form of attack, the sheer amount of attacks left no room for the enemy to counterattack. Completing this deadly group was the support, Josh, whom calmly walked along the pathway, behind the forward attackers yet in front of the projectile fighters, protecting them from any ranged attacks from the enemy thanks to the rapid typing on his laptop.

Slowly but surely, the team was carving through the enemy closer to the main building the ghast girl had taken Glenn to. They could only hope the teen was alright.

* * *

-Glenn's point of view-

"…What are you doing?" I deadpanned as I sat there, tied to a chair.

"Watching you." The white-haired girl across from him responded, not offering any further explanation. The captive teen sweat-dropped.

"I can see that. Why?" I tried again.

"I like you." The girl responded simply, tilting her head slightly. Regardless of my displeasure, the girl was cute. (Never let it be said I didn't appreciate a good looking woman) But quite frankly, being held captive like this wasn't exactly preferable.

"Guh…" I let out a displeased noise, turning my head away from the girl. It was then I noticed something interesting. There was a window directly behind me. "Hm…you wouldn't mind if I took my leave would you?" The ghast narrowed her eyes.

"I would mind. I want you here, with me."

'That's not creepy at all…' I thought to myself as I planted my feet on the floor. "What a shame." I said, smirking. "I got things to do, you see. So, see ya!" I then pushed down on my feet hard, causing the chair I was tied to fly back, hitting the windowsill, and, just as I had hoped, continuing to topple out the window thanks to the momentum I had applied.

"…I really hope there's land under me." I noted as I felt myself fall, chair and all. Thankfully, I landed on the ground chair first, shattering the furniture into so many splinters. Biting through the pain from the considerable fall, I scrambled to my feet, sprinting down the walkway. Hopefully, I could get a head-

"COME BACK HERE!" I heard my warden yell from behind me, only serving to press myself to move faster. It was ironic that was the most emotion I heard from the girl so far. Speaking of, why was she so obsessed with ME!?

Unfortunately, I wasn't the fastest person around. Outrunning the flying girl would be an impossibility. So, I simply deduced the next best thing would be to head to the sounds of battle I could hear now that I was outside. Chances were, that was Jeff and the others.

I felt confident about my chances.

The constant barrage of fireballs was not worrying me at all…

* * *

-Jeff's point of view-

I grinned as the Blaze fell apart from yet another swing of my pickaxe, blaze rods clattering to the floor with its destruction. Not stopping, I surged forward toward a pair of zombie pigmen as the blaze rods floated over to me, disappearing into my inventory. One thing I loved about pigmen? They were so ridiculously predictable. Taking advantage of this fact, I lashed out with my pickaxes diagonally, cutting into their necks, severing their vertebrae and rendering them harmless, nothing but corpses on the ground.

"HAHA!" DJ laughed as he lifted a pair of pigmen bodily, tossing them over the edge of the walkway with seemingly no effort. While they were resistant to fire, even they would perish in that ocean of heat in short order. Sabri had proven her weapon to be surprisingly efficient, launching the silk chain at her quarry with almost surgical precision, oftentimes latching the blade onto her opponent and subsequently flinging the body into another enemy. This method proved to be ridiculously effective in sending enemies off the edge. Josh was still tapping away at his laptop, rendering projectiles aimed at us quite ineffective. Andr and Cupa had no problem at that point, dispatching enemies out of our reach with ease.

"That's the last of them!" Josh announced as a blaze succumbed to a punch from DJ, coupled with a chain strike from Sabri. I silently gave thanks for the fact Josh had something as useful as an enemy radar.

"Guys! You're here!" We looked up to be met with the sight of Glenn sprinting into view from around a corner.

"Glenn! You escaped?" I asked, stepping up from inspecting a blaze body.

"Well, it might be inaccurate to say I've escaped just yet-" Glenn began, as suddenly the ground between our group and him lit up in bright flames, everyone flinching back from the explosion that created them. As the flames died down, we were rather displeased to see the sight of the ghast girl, one arm wrapped around our friend, the other prepared to launch a fireball of searing flame at our group. It should be noted that Glenn managed to let out an impressive sigh of exasperation.

"Damnit!" DJ cursed as he brought up his gauntlets.

The ghast girl flared the fireball in her hands, aiming it at our glasses-wearing friend. "Don't try anything. Or I'll burn him."

"So? He can deflect anything you throw at him!" Cupa proudly stated, seeming smug.

"I am aware of that. But I am not a regular ghast. While you're…powers, seem flawless, they target a moving object and redirect it. If I'm right, then you can't stop a continuous stream of fire. At least not well enough to protect everyone at once. Am I right?" To illustrate her point, she raised her free arm in the air, letting loose a stream of fire for a total of ten seconds. She waited for us to make a move.

No one did.

She smirked upon seeing Josh's frown. "So I am right…but chances are, if I try to fly away, you will have that enderwoman shoot me as soon as I am out of range to hit you." At this observation, Andr flinched slightly. I had to admit, she was smart to realize all that. No one moved or said anything for a few moments. Deciding to break the silence, I stepped forward, opting to play diplomat.

"It appears we are at an impasse…" I observed, gesturing to both my group and the white-haired girl. "There must be some way to settle this. That being said, I think we're all curious…why do you want Glenn?" I asked, gesturing to my captive friend.

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "…I don't need to tell you…" Glenn scoffed.

'Damn, she's being difficult.' I thought idly. Switching tactics, I tried a different approach. "At least tell me you're name…in fact, I'll go first. My name is Jeff. Your turn." I gestured to the girl.

She bit her lip, as if making a decision more difficult than that of simply telling us her name. "…Hanabi…My name is Hanabi…" She finally revealed, her glare never wavering.

"Hanabi. I'm not sure what your motive for taking our friend is, but you have to understand that it's foolish. Taking someone against their will is hardly a good foundation for becoming friends." I reasoned.

"I don't care!" Hanabi stubbornly responded.

'Just why does she want him so badly!?' I thought to myself. The situation made no sense. However, if both parties wouldn't yield, compromise was always an option. "…Alright Hanabi, how about this?" I asked, getting her attention. I motioned to the three mob girls with us, Andr, Sabri, and Cupa. "As you can see, we hold no prejudice against mobs. That being said, I assume you just want to be with Glenn. If that is really the case, then I'll extend this offer. How about you release Glenn, and come live with us, in our home? If you do, you'll be around him, and in addition he can come back with us. That wouldn't be a problem, right?" I finished, looking at her expectantly.

Her expression seemed to soften, but still remained suspicious. "…And if I refuse?"

"Then we'll have to resort to…other, less favorable options." I let the subtle hint of a threat hang there, unable to gauge the ghast girl's expression, or what it meant. I was relieved to see her relax, the flame in her hand being snuffed out.

Her eyes shifted to look at the ground, uneasy, but I could tell that she had yielded. "…Fine…" The human mob finally gave in, letting go of Glenn. He stood there for a moment longer, seemingly surprised, before jogging over to our group, the ghast girl hesitantly following. While I was still suspicious of the white-haired girl, now was neither the time nor place to worry about such trivial things.

"Alright, everyone." I addressed the gathered individuals, turning back toward the way we had come. "We're going back. While we could attack right now…" I glanced at the large gate not too far from our position, quickly shaking my head, "Now isn't the time. I think we should head back and regroup, then come back to defeat the first stage." I looked expectantly at the assembled group. "Any objections?"

"I think we've all had about enough of today." Glenn deadpanned as he began the trek back to the portal, grimacing slightly as Hanabi followed behind him. I looked at each individual to see that Glenn was probably right. Everyone did look rather worn out. That being the case, it wasn't long until we all went back to the portal, safely returning from the hell of minecraft.

* * *

-Jeff's point of view-

"Are you okay?" I heard Andr's question from behind me as I stared at the stars. After we had returned from the Nether it turned out the sun had already fallen, so we all decided it would be best to continue our work after the sun came back up. Since I hadn't felt particularly tired, I opted to simply go up to the roof to go stargazing. Space had always fascinated me, so it was something I did from time to time to simply relax.

I turned my head to the girl, smiling to show her nothing was wrong. "I'm fine. Just watching the stars. I did this a lot back at home." I elaborated for her. "You're welcome to join me if you want." Andr nodded her head, accepting my invitation as she sat down next to me.

"I often look at the sky like this, too." Andr suddenly spoke up, diverting my attention to her.

"You would go watch the stars?" I asked, looking up at the many small lights.

Andr smiled, "Well, I never knew what they were called until now. Stars. That's a really pretty name for them." She observed.

"Sometimes I forget that things are so different here…lots of things that are considered common knowledge in my world are alien concepts here." I noted, once again reminded of the situation I was in.

"Like…what did you call them? Cars?" Andr questioned.

I laughed, never taking my eyes from the celestial lights. "That's one of 'em. Even though I played this game a lot, I never considered that I'd literally be living in it." I chuckled lightly. "I've said that a few times now, actually."

"How do you feel about it?" Andr asked, turning to look at me.

"About what?" I asked, feigning ignorance. That subject was too confusing for me.

"About…being in this world." Andr specified, staring at me expectantly.

I cringed slightly. It's not like I hadn't thought about this before…it was simply that I couldn't come to a conclusion. If I had come to this world and DJ had not activated the mob talker mod, I could swear I would be resigned to finding a way back home. However, meeting them had altered my feelings on the subject. Not to mention the main source of my confusion on my feelings was sitting right next to me…

"Well…" I began hesitantly. I just couldn't bring myself to deny Andr an answer. "I'm not sure, to be honest. If someone had asked me that right when I got here, I would have said I wanted to get back to my world as soon as possible and leave this place, no regrets. But…" I hesitated once more, glancing at Andr before quickly redirecting my gaze back to the stars. "After meeting people in this world…Sabri, Cupa…and you Andr. I can't help but wonder…if I leave this world, will we ever see each other again?"

Andr remained silent after that. It was easy to tell that she didn't know what to think about that either. At least, that's what I thought before I felt her wrap her arms around me, pressing against my back.

"Andr…?" I spoke, unsure of what she was doing.

"It's fine." Andr simply stated. I would have spoken, if she had not beat me to it. "It's still going to be a while until you have to go…by the time we get there, I'm sure we can think of something. Instead of worrying, can't we enjoy this time together while it lasts?"

I smiled at that. Such a simple solution. "Yeah…I guess we can." I couldn't say for sure how long we sat there like that, but eventually we went back inside the house. Unfortunately, it seemed my confusion over my feelings for the enderwoman wasn't any closer to being resolved.

* * *

-Third person point of view-

"Shit!" A teen ran through the forest overlaid by the darkness of night, attempting to escape his pursuers. Unfortunately, they outnumbered the single individual. The teen was frantically, desperately tearing through the forest, hoping that he could somehow escape the people following in his wake.

Well, people would be a generous way of referring to them. While they may have once been humans, they were irreversibly twisted to become jokes of their former selves. They were but mindless husks that followed the orders of their leaders to the letter, or die before those orders could be carried out. It could be argued that some had a semblance of individuality, but these were far and few in between, and even then they were still undoubtedly riddled with malicious intent.

"Damnit!" The teen let out another curse as a flurry of arrows impacted the area around him, one digging into his shoulder, causing him to stumble slightly. That was all the opening the pursuers needed to let fly another couple of arrows, the projectiles digging into the flesh of his legs and rendering the teen unable to move. So, it was with a painful fall that the boy was stopped. He looked on in fear as the black cloaked group surrounded him, cutting off his every escape. Two of the soldiers parted, letting in another individual. This one was different. He was a grown man, black robes covered every portion of his body, save his face which possessed a pair of eyes that glared hatefully at the helpless teen.

"D…Damn you…" The teen's voice was barely above a whisper, unable to speak loudly due to the blinding pain he was in.

"What a coincidence… your friends shared the same sentiments before I dispatched them." The nightmarish individual stated calmly yet with malice, simultaneously pulling a blade off his back, strange runes along its surface seeming to glow in the darkness. "Now tell me…where are the rest of you're friends? That paltry thing you call a resistance?" The man leaned down close the teen's face, meeting his eyes.

The teen growled, a glare of defiance originating on his face, "Like I'd ever tell one of Herobrine's damn lackeys anything!" The teen declared, spitting in the man's face.

The man didn't react for a moment, slowly standing up and wiping the spit off his face. "Stand him up." At the man's order, two of the mindless soldiers quickly made their way to either side of the teen, grabbing him by the arms and violently yanking him up, drawing a pained cry from the boy. Upon opening his eyes which had closed from the pain, the teen observed that where the black robed man had seemed calm before, his face was now twisted into a mask of pure hatred and rage.

"Very well then…if you won't tell us where the rest are, I see no reason in delaying this any further." The man said, readying the runic blade in his hand. "Regardless of what you want, you will become a slave to my power. This is the fate of your pathetic resistance, to be but pawns to Herobrine."

"What are you-" The teen began, but was abruptly cut off as the man suddenly rushed forward, impaling the teen with the rune-adorned sword. The runes glowed brightly for a few moments, before the man slowly pulled the blade out of the body. Strangely, as the blade left the boy's body, the wound that should've been there was gone; there was no trace that he had ever been stabbed in the first place. However, it was clear the person that he had once been was truly gone. Eyes which held no emotion stared blankly ahead as the soldiers that had held the teen up let go.

"This is the reward for your bravado…pathetic." The man spat as he stared at the mindless husk in front of him. With a wave of his hand the being stalked off to join the other soldiers standing to the side. "Go back. We have done all we can here." The man spoke. The cloaked soldiers plus the new addition all darted back into the forest, heading back to wherever they had come from.

"Kel'Goroth…merciless as usual! You make me so proud!" The man, upon hearing another voice spun around, dropping to one knee as he spoke.

"Herobrine! I was not expecting to see you." The robed man now dubbed Kel'Goroth greeted.

"Always so formal…no need to be so uptight. How long have we been working together now?" Herobrine rhetorically asked as Kel'Goroth stood up once again. "Bolstering the forces, I see."

"Those idiotic fools attempted to infiltrate the fortress…of course, their mission didn't go as well as they had planned. I made sure of that." Kel'Goroth reported, scowling as he recalled the group he had defeated only minutes ago.

Herobine nodded, that creepy smile he always wore never leaving his face. "Very good, very good. Did you happen to find out where the rest are?" He asked, obviously referring to the many other individuals who had lost against the Nether, yet continued to resist Herobrine's power.

"No…their location is still unknown. But I will find them." Kel'Goroth stated, glaring at the ground, getting angrier as he simply thought about the fools that continued to fight.

"They can't hide forever…"

* * *

**A/N:** There it is! he fourth chapter! Please tell me what you think!

Here's a list of all the OC's I've accepted, along with their respective creators. (Some haven't actually appeared yet.)

Jeff - Created by: Kirbboy

DJ - Created by: Kirbboy

Josh - Created by: Kirbboy

Glenn - Created by: Kirbboy

Kel'Goroth - Created by: muredin

Garvin - Created by: muredin

Jaden "Blade Fury" Silvic - Created by: TheFlamingBlade

And there you have it! As you can see, the list isn't that big yet. So, plenty of room for new additions. Feel free to submit an OC in either a review or PM.

Please Review! Though no flames if you will, let's keep it classy.

See you on the other side. This is Kirbboy, over and out.


	5. Emerging Shadows

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything, except for the OC's I've created. All OC's belong to their respective creators.

**A/N: **Hey everyone! Well, the fifth chapter is finally out…sorry it took so long. I had some stuff to deal with. Plus, a new game came out and I was having lots of fun with it! Anyway, I'll try to keep this from happening again, because I really do enjoy writing this! So please, enjoy the chapter!

* * *

-Jeff's Point of View-

"Why don't we just charge in? It worked the last time." DJ pointed out, leaning back on the couch. Currently, Josh, DJ and I were all seated in the living room, discussing how exactly we planned to assault the Nether later today. While we could have waited until later, we decided that we were as ready as we'd ever be and waiting around would get us nowhere.

Josh narrowed his eyes at DJ. "No need to be so careless. Now that we have time, we should move carefully and avoid combat as much as possible. That way, our supplies will still be plentiful by the time we get to the boss. We're not in a rush this time." Josh pointed out, reminding us of our rescuing of our friend yesterday.

Where was he, anyway?

I decided to voice my concern, "Hey, guys? Didn't Glenn say he was going to join us for planning before breakfast? Where is he?" At my question, both DJ and Josh swept their gazes around the room, confirming that no, Glenn was not here.

"Maybe he fell back asleep or something…" DJ suggested. It was plausible. After all, out of the three of us, I was the only one who had no trouble getting up early. My three compatriots, however, found it rather disagreeable.

I shrugged. "It's possible. I'll go get him." I announced, standing up.

"I'll join you." DJ offered, standing as well. Josh simply gave us a glance before going back to typing on his laptop. It seemed he opted to simply await our return. With that, both DJ and I set off for Glenn's room. Nearing the door, we didn't bother knocking, favoring the tried and true strategy of barging into a room unannounced.

"Hey Glenn, what…well." Both DJ and I stopped in our tracks, taking in the scene before us with a palpable amount of both confusion and surprise. Before us, Glenn was lying on his bed, as we had guessed. However, what we did not expect was the situation we found our friend in. Each of his limbs was tied to one of the four bed posts, disabling him from any sort of notable movement. What was more surprising was the fact Hanabi was sitting on top of him, a rather large and sharp knife gripped in one of her hands.

"Kinky." DJ stated, as I suppressed a laugh. That comment was all it took to send Glenn off the handle.

His face changed from fearful to pissed off in less than a second, glaring at DJ intensely as he spoke. "KINKY!? How can you say that in this situation!? I had just woken up, ready to go to the meeting before this PSYCHOPATH," Glenn angled his head toward the Girl resting atop his chest, "hit me with a full on tackle, tying me to the bed before I had even woken up fully! Then she pulled out a friggin' KNIFE!" A look of fear flashed across the prisoner's face before turning back into a mask of rage. "Help. Me." Glenn emphasized the words, directing a venomous glare in our direction. As hilarious as it was to see Glenn tied to his own bed with the white-haired girl straddling him, the knife did make me feel uneasy.

"Hanabi?" I got the Ghast girl's attention, as she shifted her gaze from Glenn to us for the first time since we entered the room. "Why do you have the knife?" That, to me, was really the only pertinent question. The fact she tied Glenn to the bed so she could be close to him didn't surprise me considering how taken she seemed to be with our friend, and I highly doubted she wanted to kill him.

Hanabi tilted her head to the side innocently, as if what she was doing was no more surprising than walking a dog. "Well, I overhead you all talking together, mentioning that some humans gained pleasure from pain." Hanabi began. "So I thought I would hit him with this," Hanabi gestured to the knife, "and find out whether or not it would please Glenn."

Silence reined for about a minute.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!?" Glenn broke the silence with a shout, thrashing about, attempting to break free from the bonds which held him in place. Hanabi didn't react in the slightest, simply staring at the distraught boy with a smile.

DJ and I traded glances, before I spoke to Hanabi once more. "Hanabi…none of us are masochists. So please, release Glenn so he can join us for planning." I requested. Hanabi pouted, but nonetheless cut Glenn's bonds. Without hesitation Glenn burst from the bed, running out of the room in record time. Shrugging, DJ and I filed out as well, Hanabi following but turning to go to the kitchen as we headed back to the living room.

"Something bothering you, Glenn?" Josh questioned the teen sitting across from him whom held a perturbed look on his face as we entered the room.

"…I don't want to talk about it." Glenn mumbled as both DJ and I took our seats around the table once more. Glenn shook his head, expression morphing from disturbed to serious. "So, what are we planning? Have you guys decided yet?"

Upon Glenn's question I shrugged, offering an answer myself. "To be honest, we were hoping you might have some ideas. We couldn't think of much, considering it all seems rather straightforward." I nodded to Josh, who then placed his laptop on the table and turning it so that we could all see the screen. "Josh uploaded the pictures I took on my phone to his laptop. We've highlighted different points of entry, but it doesn't look any different from a regular run-of-the-mill fortress. Aside from the sheer size and the dome structure obviously. With all the lava surrounding the fortress and the Ghasts and blazes, it seems like we may as well just charge in and carve our way through the enemies to the boss zone. Building cove or another bridge out of cobble would just make us prone to unnecessary risk, really." I finished my explanation, fixing Glenn with an expectant gaze.

Glenn merely shrugged after a few moments of scrutinizing the pictures. "I'm not the idea guy, that's your job. As far as a plan of attack goes, that seems to be our best and possibly only option. I'm in." Glenn confirmed his participation, leaning back in his seat.

"Then we're all in agreement." I concluded, taking a moment to glance at Josh and DJ, whom gave me nods in affirmation. "If you want, just kick back for now…it's a very real possibility that this will be the last time we're all around this table." I finished.

DJ smirked, "Come on! Don't underestimate us. We'll take this place down no problem! Just like how we beat Halo on legendary together."

Josh raised a single eyebrow. "This is a little different than Halo."

"Shut up!" DJ countered.

"This is the first boss." Glenn stated, "It would be insulting if any of us lost to that."

I smiled. "Yeah, I guess you guys are right." With that, all of us stood up from our various seats and split off to do our various tasks before we were thrust into Minecraft's virtual hell.

* * *

-Third Person Point of View-

It was a dark room.

There were no true lights, only odd inscriptions on the walls that cast an eerie, unsettling purple glow about the room. The room did have a window…it never took in the light of the sun, however. Instead, it received a similar light, the only difference being it came from an eternally still, blood encased moon that instead of a purple glow gave off a red one. It was brighter than that of the room's 'lights' but not by much. The blood seemed to then drop from the moon in long, thick streams, assumedly pooling somewhere far beyond the horizon. This nightmarish moon was the perfect backdrop for the man seated in a throne inside the dark room.

"They will go soon. The question remains of what we will do about it." Kel observed from his perch as his subordinates gathered in front of him. These individuals were far more important than that of the captives, the name given to the mindless, regular soldier currently at his disposal. No, these humans were similar to him. They had willingly joined Herobrine's side, thusly earning the privilege to keep their free will.

'Well, most of them…' Kel'Goroth thought to himself as he glanced at Garvin, whom was a unique case. He had his sane mind, yet was unwillingly serving Herobrine. This hardly mattered to Kel, so long as he was kept under control.

One of his subordinates, Ariana, spoke up. "Why? Someone is already moving to impede them. We don't have to do anything yet. The element of surprise is an important tool, you know." This was all said with her characteristic quiet, monotone voice. It was always hard to gauge how she felt about something.

Kel'Goroth paused at that. Other than their organization, he couldn't think of anyone who would act against other humans. It simply did not make sense. Of course, Ariana was a top-notch assassin, and with that skill came the perk of knowing quite a bit more information than one would expect. So if she said it was so, he had no reason to disbelieve her.

"Perhaps you would like to explain further, Ariana?" The leader of the group coerced, staring expectantly at the cloaked girl.

"There is another who wants to fight them. I don't know why…but regardless, he is building a portal after seeing the group. We can assume he wishes to confront them, as he decided not to make peaceful contact with them first." Ariana explained, still speaking with that monotone voice.

"I see. If that's the case, I will trust your judgment, for now." Kel glared at her, "But, I expect you to follow and observe them. Without being detected, of course. As you said, why reveal ourselves to this new group early? I take it the resistance has not gathered wind of this new group either?" Kel asked.

"They are unaware." Ariana confirmed.

"Good. Then go." Kel dismissed the assassin, watching as she disappeared from the dark room.

"They will not lose to you…"

Kel'Goroth turned to his unwilling cohort, Garvin, whom was glaring at him as always. "Garvin…of course they will. You say the same thing with every group, yet every time…they fail." His expression transformed to that of a sadistic smirk, one that caused Garvin to flinch back slightly.

"This time will be no different."

* * *

-Cupa's Point of View-

"Hey Josh! Whatcha doin'?" I asked as I stepped into the newly-constructed room the Josh had only recently created. "Wow! What's all this stuff?" I questioned as I ventured further into the room to find the person I was looking for hunched over a desk with an assortment of complicated tools surrounding him. His laptop was placed there as well, which appeared to have an assortment of applications running.

"Greetings, Cupa." Josh responded, turning to give me a nod of acknowledgement before returning to his work. "This is my personal, for lack of a more illustrative word, lab. To make it simple."

"What's a lab?" I had never heard a word like that before…

Josh paused for a moment. "Right…I forget you aren't familiar with such terms." He thought for a moment, "Alright, think about it like this. This is essentially a room to be used as an advanced workbench. You see, when we built modified weapons such as Glenn's sword, it got me thinking. If that's possible, then it seems we can build, theoretically, anything so long as we have the fundamental materials. If this works, I should be able to make things that would normally be impossible in the game." Josh explained, finally stopping what he was doing to turn and face me. "Get it?"

"Yeah, I see what you're saying. But if it's not in the game, how would you build it? Isn't that against the rules?" I asked.

"Normally. But I'm a hacker. Whether or not some flimsy rules get in the way is hardly a concern." Josh replied with a smirk, pushing his glasses up.

"So…whatcha' building now?" I asked while trying to look behind him.

He moved to the side slightly to allow me to see the vials of liquids he had created. "Nothing too complicated yet. I'm just experimenting with the brewery stand and making potions. Fortunately those blazes dropped some blaze rods I could use to do so. I figured we might need some useful potions for the battle we have to attend later today." He finished, frowning slightly at the mention of the coming Nether boss fight.

I noticed his contemplative look, "How do you feel about that?"

"About what?"

I rolled my eyes at his attempt at fake ignorance, "The Nether fight we're going to do." I specified.

Josh seemed to think about the question a moment before answering. "I'd say we have approximately an eighty-seven point six chance of winning judging by average difficulty of 'first' bosses and with our numbers should be fine to-" He probably would have continued had I not interrupted.

"I didn't ask for the statistics," I clarified while fixing Josh with a concerned look, "I asked how you felt about it."

Josh seemed to think deeply for a few moments. "Such things aren't exactly in my field of expertise…but if you want to hear how I feel that badly, I guess I would say I'm worried." He turned back to work as he talked, a nervous habit, I guessed. "It's a lot to think about. Only days previous I was safe and sound in my home with my hidden security cameras."

"Security cameras?" I noted. He kept hidden security cameras in his home…?

"Not important. Now I'm thrust into a game that to me was simply fiction, and suddenly my death is a very pertinent issue. Not only that, but I have to fight an extremely dangerous enemy that I can't even see." He paused for a moment, "Information is power, Cupa. And we don't have any."

I was surprised. I thought that Josh was fearless…he always seemed in control, calm even in the most serious of situations. But even though he was talking in the same, unchanging calm voice he always did, I could tell he was scared. I don't know how I could tell, I just knew.

I smiled. "Josh! I never knew you were the type to be scared of something!"

He started at that, spinning to face me, his face turning slightly red from embarrassment, "What? I will have you know, I am perfectly fine! As if I could be frightened…"

My smile grew wider. "Sure Josh. I'm sure you have everything under control!"

"T-That's right!" Josh said, turning to stare at some appliance across the room, trying to calm down. I noticed the stutter, though. He had given himself away from his reaction alone.

"…It'll be okay, Josh. As long as we all stick together." I spoke.

Josh looked back at me, seeming slightly surprised by my words. His expression quickly changed back to a calm and controlled one as he responded. "I suppose you must be right." He went back to fiddling with the potions we would later be using.

"Need any help?" I figured I could spend more time with him before we had to go if I helped him with…whatever he was doing. Maybe I could even learn more about his world that way.

"Well, I could certainly use a helping hand." Josh replied without looking away from his work, "Get me that tool over there, would you?" He asked, pointing to some odd, larger tool on a table on the other side of the room.

"You got it!" I happily responded as I made my way to the aforementioned equipment.

* * *

-Hanabi's Point of View-

"So do you like him?" The spider girl Sabri asked as she ate some of that odd frozen food. What was it called…? Oh right. Ice cream. I glared at the stuff. It was always unpleasantly cold…

"L-Like who?" The Enderwoman, I think Andr was her name, seemed to tremble under the purple haired girl's scrutinizing gaze. I didn't understand what she was so nervous about…if someone asked who I liked; I would just say it was Glenn.

Sabri rolled her eyes, "Honestly Andr! It's pretty obvious…I mean, the way you act around him, and how you like to hang out with him so much. It's kinda obvious."

I finally decided to speak up, "Who is the 'him' you are referring to?" I had to make sure it wasn't Glenn, because he was mine, and so if the Enderwoman liked the spiky haired teen I would have no choice but to…get rid of her.

Sabri answered for me. "Jeff. Don't worry, it's not porcupine head." I nodded, pleased with the answer. "So Andr…?" Sabri coaxed, trying to get the red haired girl to answer.

Andr blushed heavily, finally offering a more clear answer. "I…I'm not sure if I like him like that! He's just really nice, and wants to help everyone, I really admire him for that, and he looks really cool when he's leading everyone to-"

Sabri interrupted the girl. "I think I get it. You really do like him."

"W-What!? No! Well, not no, but…what I mean to say is…!" Andr trailed off, blushing madly while standing there, hiding her face with the extra long sleeves of her sweater.

Sabri seemed to decide the Enderwoman had had enough teasing for now, turning to look at me. "So Hanabi, I've been wondering…why did you kidnap Glenn like that back at the Nether?"

I thought the answer was rather simple. "I wanted to be with him." I answered.

"Well you could have done that with us-"

"I wanted to be alone with him." I clarified. It was obvious, really.

The spider girl seemed confused. I wonder why. "Okay…" Sabri replied uncertainly, moving to continue eating that ice cream stuff.

"Do you like anyone?" I asked Sabri. I was rather curious, I liked someone, Andr liked someone; it was almost like it was a trend.

Sabri smirked, "Meh, maybe. Can't really be too sure just yet. I'll tell you more as this case develops!" She declared, speaking like some sort of announcer.

"I see." I acknowledged her answer.

"…remember that? It was hilarious!" We heard DJ's voice just before the teen walked into the room, flanked by Glenn. "Hey everyone!" DJ greeted upon noticing us.

"How's it going?" Glenn followed up on DJ's greeting. He looked to me, frowning. "Oh…it's you…"

"Geez, so cold Glenn!" Sabri shouted dramatically, grinning at the boy.

Andr smiled softly, "Couldn't you at least give Hanabi a chance, Glenn?"

"She kidnapped me! NO one gives a kidnapper a chance!" Glenn retaliated, "That's like saying, hey, a bank robber just busted in, maybe they want to sell us Girl Scout cookies!"

Sabri and Andr considered that for a moment. Sabri spoke. "Fair enough."

'It seems Glenn is rather hesitant to be around me…perhaps my forced approach is best after all…' I thought to myself as he glared at me and took a seat in a chair, completely unaware of my plots to gain his affection.

"Hey Sabri, don't hog all the ice cream!" DJ said upon noticing the frozen treat, reaching for the container, causing her to raise it out of reach.

"Get your own, pipsqueak!" Sabri retorted.

"DAMNIT! I'M NOT SHORT! You didn't make the ice cream! Share it!" DJ shouted.

"You didn't make it either! It's mine!" Sabri declared as the two fought, DJ trying to get at the container while Sabri struggled to keep it out of his reach.

"Calm down you two…" I heard Glenn say. While they had created such a convenient distraction, I took advantage of the opportunity to sneak up on Glenn. I quickly tackled the teen out of the chair he had just been occupying. His eyes widened in panic.

"What!? HANABI!? NOOOO!"

* * *

-Jeff's Point of View-

I smiled as I walked through the forest, music blaring loudly in my ears. It might have been a bad habit to listen to music quite this loudly, but it hardly mattered to me. It was a tough habit to break. After me and the guys had finished our meeting, I had opted to go outside and take a look around…get some fresh air.

"Nice." I commented as I grabbed some roses. _'These will make a cool decorative item.'_ I thought to myself as the flowers disappeared into my inventory. I always did like the color red.

I had not come out here just to walk around, though. It made it easier to think. About all that had happened…all that would happen. We were about as prepared as could be to fight the Nether boss, though I supposed there were a couple of other things we could do. But no, it would best to take it down now. It would be a sort of morale boost to show we really had a chance. I could tell everyone needed it.

I needed it.

I had been rather calm about the situation outwardly. Inside, though…I was terrified. I could die. Everything would be over…I would never see again. Never feel again. An eternity of nothingness…but that wasn't what really frightened me. Rather, I thought the possibility of an afterlife was perfectly believable. What really got to me was dying with so many loose ends. I had always wanted to do something that would help many people. As cheesy as it sounded, I guess I wanted to be a hero. To die before that would be such a horrible waste.

I snapped myself out of my thoughts. Thinking like that wouldn't help anything. Brooding never did suit me. I preferred confidence. An unsettling feeling suddenly came over me.

"What is…?" I wondered aloud. I had found my gut feeling was usually pretty accurate. I assumed no different this time. _'Feels like I'm being watched.'_ I thought to myself, _'I shouldn't take chances…not when I'm alone like this. I need to go back.' _I drew my pickaxes as I began heading back at a swift pace. I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched the entire way back, yet I never saw anyone, no matter where it was I looked. It finally left when I stepped into the clearing that surrounded our house. I took one last look at the tree line before shaking my head, retreating back into the house.

'_It was probably nothing anyway…'_

* * *

-Unknown Point of View-

I smirked. "Haha…so, you plan to go in, eh?" I turned away from the house those fools occupied before closing my eyes and picturing the Nether portal I had created in my head.

When I opened my eyes, I was there.

The darkness of the cave surrounded me…comforting, in its own way. It hardly mattered…it was but a temporary shelter. I was a nomad, just as she had been…

"NO! This isn't the time….forget about it." I shook my head as I directed my thoughts away from her. I needed to stay focused, to teach these idiots what they would face. How reckless they were. Only a few days and they planned to destroy the Nether boss? Foolish did not begin to describe their actions.

Not only that, they had made nice with some mobs. They were dragging innocents into their battle, and I would not allow them to continue to do so. They were a dangerous element, and so needed to be subdued accordingly. It was the only way.

'_That one…he was their leader, wasn't he?' _I thought to myself as I remembered the teen in the red jacket I had been following. So I had my target. If he fell the rest would panic from him being…dispatched. After all, I was certain that they were only working together out of necessity. Just like every other idiot in this world. All everyone every thought about was their own damn survival! No one cared about each other…no one.

'_But not me…' _I thought as I activated the portal, as thoughts of her surfaced once more. But now was not the time. I stepped through the portal, getting my first glimpse of the Nether and the massive Nether fortress it held. With it brought painful memories…yet I would endure.

"Don't keep me waiting…" I mumbled to myself. They would beat the Nether boss. I don't know what compelled me to believe that. But when they did, I would be ready. And when I defeated this group, Herobrine would have no choice but to face me….

…Right…?

* * *

-Jeff's Point of View-

"Jeff! Where were you? I looked everywhere!" Andr scolded me as I sheepishly rubbed the back of my head.

"Ehehe…sorry about that. I guess it kinda slipped my mind to tell you all I was ducking out for a bit." I apologized.

Andr pouted. "You have to tell me! I was worried about you, you know…?"

I laughed lightly. "You got it, Andr. Next time we'll go together, how about that?" I offered. She always seemed to become happy when I offered to spend time with the Enderwoman.

She glared at me. "Hm…promise?"

"I promise." I confirmed, nodding my head to punctuate the statement.

"Alright…I can't really stay mad at you…" Andr mumbled, blushing slightly. I wonder why she always did that around me.

"Well aren't you two just adorable!" I turned my head to see both Josh and Cupa standing at the doorway to the room Andr and I were occupying, Andr's face now completely red from Cupa's outburst.

"Hey. Something you need?" I asked. I don't know why, but I was slightly annoyed at their interruption…well, business first, I guess.

Josh nodded, unfolding his laptop. "I think it's about time we entered the Nether. All the supplies are prepared and ready to go, and I've even taken the liberty of making a number of potions to aid us in the coming fight in addition to extra tools, should our current weapons break." He closed the laptop, looking back to me. "Everyone else is ready. All we need is you."

My expression was now hardened and serious, a contrast to my normal demeanor. I nodded. "Andr. I'm ready. Are you?"

Andr's expression was determined. "I'm ready if you are. I guess there's no point in delaying this, huh?"

"We're ready, Josh. Let's go." I stated.

Josh nodded, the four of us all walking to the room with our resident Nether portal. It wasn't long before I stood before the Nether portal, my friends all behind me waiting for me to step through, in which case they would follow soon after.

This is where someone would usually make a speech, right?

That would be so cliché…

…

…

…Eh, why not?

"Well, here we are everyone." I began, turning to face the seven standing before me. "About to enter the Nether to fight enemy we know nothing about. Some supposedly super-powerful king beast. And standing here, seeing all of you…" I swept my eyes over everyone, stopping to look at Andr for a moment before continuing to address everyone. I grinned. "I think this so-called Nether boss won't even know what hit him. Because with all of us together, I'm sure we can take down anything that stands in our way. And since you've all stuck with me this long, I assume I'm not the only one who thinks that."

My announcement was met with several shouts of confirmation.

"Well then, let's bring the fire extinguisher to this bastard." I announced as I jumped through the portal. Everyone followed shortly after, all of us beginning to run toward the imposing structure where we would fight our first boss, weapons in hand.

DJ ran up beside me. "That was really cliché, y'know?"

I simply smiled. "Shut up."

* * *

-Unknown Point of View-

"Done!" I announced to myself as the portal activated. I cringed as I looked at the portal…it didn't hold…the best memories for me. But what choice did I have? That guy followed them through, and he was practically the definition of 'suspicious'. I couldn't just stand by and watch. Besides, those guys seemed to be good guys…what was their names? I could ask them later. Right now, bigger problems.

"Whelp…as much as I hate that place…duty calls." I commented as I drew my red diamond blade. I hopped into the portal, silently hoping I didn't spawn stranded on a few blocks in the middle of the lava sea.

That would suck.

* * *

**A/N: **And that is that! Fifth chapter.

Here's a list of all the OC's I've accepted, along with their respective creators. (Some haven't actually appeared yet.)

Jeff - Created by: Kirbboy

DJ - Created by: Kirbboy

Josh - Created by: Kirbboy

Glenn - Created by: Kirbboy

Kel'Goroth - Created by: muredin

Garvin - Created by: muredin

Jaden "Blade Fury" Silvic - Created by: TheFlamingBlade

Ariana – Created by: ShadowyReviewer

That's all I've decided on so far. Rest assured that quite a few of the OCs you guys have submitted are still being considered. I just need to sort out the storyline and then plug them in where I want them. More OCs will begin to show up soon.

Still accepting OCs! Feel free to shoot me a PM or review with your OC submission.

Please review! It makes me happy to know what you think! No flames please, those are annoying.

Going under. Won't be gone too long, this has been Kirbboy.


	6. No One Likes Lava

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything of Minecraft, aside from my OC's. All OC's belong to their respective creators.

**A/N: **Okay, so this took a while to update. I am very sorry for that, but I have been doing a lot of work from school…even so it shouldn't have taken quite this long though. So yeah, I am very sorry. However, I've already started writing the seventh chapter so you can expect it far sooner. So now that that is squared away, I really am curious about how people will like this chapter. Lots of stuff happens in this chapter, and it's my first time writing such a major battle sequence. So I would really appreciate it if you could drop a review and tell me how I did. Anyway, I'm sure my talking isn't nearly as interesting as the story itself, so please, enjoy chapter six!

* * *

-Jeff's Point of View-

'This game seems a lot gorier than I recall.' I thought as my pickaxe tore through another pigman, the creature reeling off the edge of the Nether brick bridge from the hit.

"We're almost to the opening! I see it just up ahead!" I heard DJ shout. I quickly glanced up past the blazes and pigman in our path, spotting the opening DJ was referring to. If we could get inside the Nether Fortress and off the bridge, it would stop the ghast's onslaught.

"Alright, let's rush it!" Glenn called. True to his word, he thrust his large diamond and obsidian sword in front, cutting through the enemies. Taking advantage of the opening, he ran to the safety of the inner corridors of the fortress. I felt someone grab my hand, before I suddenly found myself inside the fortress, Andr smiling next to me. I offered her a grateful smile as I turned my head to the entrance, watching the rest of our group rush in. Once everyone had made it inside, Josh was quick to block the entrance with the cobblestone we had brought with us.

"What now?" Andr asked me as we all stood in the corridor.

I smirked. "Now comes the easy part. Without the Ghasts harassing us, it'll be a simple matter to find the entrance to that dome we saw earlier. Then…well, we fight the boss." I finished explaining. Our group set a quick pace to where we thought the dome was, easily dispatching any pigman or Blaze that attempted to hinder our progress.

It suddenly dawned on me how easy it was to do all this as compared to what I thought it would be like. It seemed almost odd, in a way. At the same time, it made me feel confident. If we were having so little trouble doing this, then perhaps the boss wouldn't be too much trouble for all of us anyway.

Us. I had to remind myself that we weren't a small group. We were a large group, armed to the teeth. It wouldn't be too much of a stretch to attribute the fact we did so well to our numbers. With so many people, it wouldn't be much trouble to defeat the mobs as we were. If I were, say, by myself, I had no doubt I would be overwhelmed, regardless of skill or how well armed I was.

This brought on another thought. Herobrine had mentioned other groups before us. Logically, that meant other large groups must have done what we were right now. Yet, Herobrine made it quite clear that none had actually, truly defeated the Nether boss as of yet. Did this mean the Nether boss was extremely powerful or could it mean that there hadn't been a group this large fighting the Nether boss before?

With a sinking feeling, I realized the latter was unlikely. Chances were the Nether boss was like nothing we've seen before. As a matter of fact, the creature we were going to face was quite literally nothing we had seen before. It wasn't like the Enderdragon or the Wither, which we had seen before and therefore could prepare for to a certain degree. All we had were assumptions based on observations of the environment, like the ones I had pointed out when speaking to Andr a day ago.

'Regardless,' I thought as I looked around at my friends, 'we have prepared for this as much as we could…I won't stop here because of a little worry.'

"There it is!" I heard Cupa's voice, breaking me out of my musings. "Wow! It's huge!" She observed as we all came to a stop in front of the admittedly massive door.

"Looks pretty fancy too." Sabri commented as she scrutinized the runic carvings on its surface.

The unfamiliar etching mad me a little uneasy. "Josh, DJ, Glenn, do you guys recognize any of this?" I asked them. I didn't remember seeing anything like these symbols in the game before. The closest thing I could compare them to are the enchantments for an item to be enchanted, although they still looked marginally different from that.

Josh seemed to grow wary as well. "No…nothing like it. How odd." He typed on his laptop for a moment, only for his frown to deepen.

Glenn walked up to the door, tapping it with his sword lightly. As he did, an eerie echoing sound filled the chamber. It didn't take a genius to figure out the sound wasn't from Glenn's sword alone. Rather, it came from whatever was behind the door. We all looked between each other for a moment, unsure of how to proceed. That was, until a voice suddenly echoed through the room.

"**Players. Do you wish to challenge the Nether Boss?" **The haunting voice asked, falling silent after it delivered its message.

I looked between everyone, seeing all of them fixed with determined expressions. I felt someone grab my hand. Turning my head, I was greeted by the sight of a smiling Enderwoman. "We'll follow you." Andr stated.

Smiling back at the girl, I then looked back toward the foreboding door. "We accept this challenge!" I responded to the disembodied voice.

There was no response. The large door simply parted down the middle, swinging outward. It revealed a mass of black space, glowing with a faint dark red. It was a portal.

No words were needed. We all stepped through the portal.

* * *

"Damn! It's way too hot!" DJ complained as we looked around at the massive dome-shaped room we had all been teleported into. Lava flowed freely between crevices in the Nether block floor, with the same blocks lining the walls. There were small mounds of soul sand placed randomly about the room for what, I could only guess. This was apparently the boss room.

"So…what now?" Sabri asked after a few moments of tense silence. We looked around. No one was really sure of what exactly to do. Honestly, I had been expecting to be fighting for my life right now, not standing in an empty room.

"Maybe we should…" I began, when suddenly the ground beneath our feet began to shake violently. A couple of us fell over from the sudden movement as it grew more severe, nether blocks falling from the ceiling and landing with wet splats into the lava rivers. Suddenly that same lava began to spew into the air in the center of the room, all of it seeming to defy gravity as it piled on itself, creating a rough shape of a mound. It was forming something.

Something big.

It was nothing more than a massive blob of lava that stared at us with small beady red eyes, lava parting below those eyes in a gurgling, thunderous roar of anger originating from the creature. The thing then expanded slightly, leaning back and puffing up, as if it were intending to blow out the candles on a birthday cake.

I'd played enough games to know this was the boss. Then again, you didn't have to be a genius at video games to know this thing was the boss. It was thanks to my experience that I knew what the behemoth was planning to do. Thinking quickly, I spoke, "Move out of the way!" I shouted, grabbing Andr and dashing to the side. Josh, DJ, and Glenn apparently had the same idea as they too were already leading the rest of the girls away. Just as I had suspected, the Nether Boss spewed forth a massive glob of lava moments later, the searing liquid splattering the ground we had been standing on only moments before. "Damn! We won't be able to use melee weapons against this thing!" I cursed as Andr teleported me out of the way of another blast of lava. When we reappeared Andr prepared her bow and let an arrow fly. It hit the lava monster, but the behemoth did not seem to notice as the projectile simply burned away.

"I didn't really think that would work…" Andr mumbled in disappointment. All the while I was wracking my brain trying to come up with what to do. I hadn't expected a being made of pure lava. Moreover, I had expected a larger form of an already existing mob in the Nether. It was only now I realized how naïve I had been. It all matched up. Herobrine had openly admitted no one had defeated the Nether Boss…if that was the case, then of course it would be something no one would know about, or even expect, let alone predict. The people before us were probably good players; if it had been a beefed up version of a mob it would have been defeated long ago.

"Look out!" I heard Andr shout before I felt her grab my arm, teleporting again. To my horror, a massive meteor had impacted where we had been moments before. I looked back to the monster, who had now switched from spitting lava to shooting molten rock into the air, raining hell on our heads.

"Wait! Think about this, Cupa!" We heard Josh shout. Looking over, we saw Cupa lighting a mass of TNT, all bundled together to create one large bomb.

"Blowing up stuff always works!" Cupa shouted back as she hurled the lit explosive at the Nether Boss, exploding upon impact. Josh quickly grabbed Cupa and projected a shield from his laptop, a glowing blue dome covering the two. Andr grabbed my hand and teleported. Hanabi carried Glenn into the air, Sabri and DJ sprinting away from the creature.

Our retreat proved to be a smart decision as the explosion sent mounds of lava flying off the monster. To my satisfaction, the monster roared in what sounded like pain. Less appealing was the fact we had to frantically dodge the lava. Andr teleported numerous times, while Hanabi performed all manner of aerial maneuvers to dodge. Sabri and DJ managed by some miracle to avoid getting hit; Cupa and Josh were safe inside the genius's barrier. I grimaced as I looked around the room; much of the floor now sizzling with puddles of lava I knew would not be disappearing any time soon. It was not ideal.

"Sorry!" I heard Cupa apologize as Josh dissolved the barrier. We were forced back into action as the Nether Boss resumed its onslaught.

"No melee weapons, projectiles don't do anything, and we can't use TNT without screwing ourselves! What the hell do we do!?" Glenn yelled in frustration as he swung his sword around, smashing a meteor sent in his direction to pieces. I was starting to get irritated too…well, I suppose it was more accurate to say I was beginning to panic. With no way to effectively attack, what would we do?

That was how we fought for some time. Dodging more than fighting, really. I could tell it was taking a toll on all of us. Aside from the fact we barely had time to catch our breath; the stifling heat the creature radiated was weakening us as well. All the while I was trying to think of a way to attack the Boss effectively. "Crap!" DJ dodged out of the way of yet another lava blast, "This is more annoying than the Enderdragon!" I agreed, though I said nothing aloud. I mean sure, the Enderdragon was annoying, especially since you had to destroy the recovery crystals to really kill the dragon. It was more indirect and therefore pretty irritating…wait.

Indirect.

I quickly scanned the room, looking for anything out of place. No conventional weapons could kill him! That had to mean we needed to find a way to hurt him indirectly, manipulate the environment or something. I looked up at the ceiling, where stalactites of bedrock hung proudly. Bedrock was one of the few things that could stop lava. If we could get those to crash down on the Boss, it would have to do something. Normally I wouldn't have considered the idea of breaking bedrock, but we had already proven to be able to do things the game didn't allow previously. I noted the stalactites were spaced about on the roof in clusters. Looking down to the floor, I found they were directly above those mounds of soul sand. The soul sand that had a hole on the top of the mounds, likely for shooting something in the air. Of course, it would need some sort of trigger. Casting a glance at Cupa, I noted that if she were to throw a stick of TNT into the hole we could trigger whatever it was that was down there, and be perfectly safe from the ensuing explosion.

I finally had a plan.

"Everyone! We have to lead the Nether Boss to the nearest mound of soul sand! I have an idea!" I shouted. Despite getting some confused looks, though I noticed Josh take a look at the mound, then up at the stalactites. He was the only one to give me an approving nod.

Despite that, everyone acted accordingly. We were ready to try anything at this point. Glenn and DJ got closer and taunted the creature, able to withstand a degree of the boss's attacks thanks to their sturdy weaponry. All the while Hanabi was firing blasts of fire at the lava monster, doing no damage but certainly pissing it off. Seeing the monster steadily drawing closer to the mound, I called Andr and Cupa over.

"Cupa, I want you to get a stick of dynamite ready. When I tell you, light it and toss it into the hole on the soul sand mound. Andr, I'm counting on you to teleport our creeper friend out of there. Sound good?" They both looked at me skeptically, but nodded nonetheless. It seemed like kind of a far shot, I would admit, but if it worked, we could win. If it didn't…

I shook my head. Now wasn't the time for doubts. This would work. Everyone got into position, just as the Nether boss reached the soul sand, almost directly over the hole.

"Everyone, back off! Cupa! Now!" I shouted, the creeper girl throwing the TNT in a perfect arc, landing directly in the hole as the taunters retreated. I noticed with some amusement that she pumped her fist in the air happily before being teleported away. The Nether Boss was now directly over the hole when we heard a faint boom. For a moment, nothing happened.

Then the soul sand exploded.

Lava exploded into the air, propelling into the air and smashing into the bedrock stalactites with such force it sounded like a cannon just went off. Then, with a loud crack, the stalactites fell from the ceiling, on a collision course straight for the boss. The Boss cried out as the stalactites hit their mark, slashing the creature and cutting it up. That was when the unexpected happened. The Boss exploded into Magma Cubes, the cubes looking about in confusion. Where the Boss used to be, there was a massive Magma Cube core.

The Nether Boss was an enormous Magma Cube.

I noticed the smaller Magma Cubes all hopping to the large core. It was immediately obvious they were trying to reform. I quickly gave our next orders. "Melee weapon users, hit the Magma Cubes! I want projectile users to hit the core! Cupa, you help us with the Magma Cubes!" I quickly called on my dual pickaxes, slashing into the horde of Magma Cubes in a frenzy. My friends followed suit, as scores of the Cubes were taken down. The Core kept on flashing red as the arrows from Andr and the fire blasts from Hanabi beat down on it. Despite that, about two thirds of the magma cubes managed to reform on the core. The Nether Boss was notably smaller.

But now we knew what to do.

"How much you wanna bet we can take it down on the next attack?" DJ challenged with a smirk.

"I'll take that bet. Let's do this!" Glenn declared as the two surged forward, once again catching the boss's attention as they coaxed it to the next soul sand mound. Hanabi was already helping them. Cupa and Andr were already getting in position. Sabri walked over next to me.

"Good job. Looks like you managed to save the day, fearless leader!" She smiled.

I spluttered. "Leader? I'm not-" I began to protest before Josh interrupted me.

"We need a leader of some sort. And to be honest, you certainly are able to act the part." He commented, as I slumped in defeat. "Anyway," He pointed to the boss who had just been speared by more stalactites. "I'd say we finish this."

I nodded, quickly moving to slay more Magma Cubes. This time, we managed to kill the remainder of Magma Cubes, leaving only the core left. With one last arrow from Andr, the core glowed brightly before exploding, sending out a shockwave that staggered us. The lava that covered the field from the fight dissolved, leaving it in only the crevasses once more, thankfully. I also noticed the temperature decrease somewhat. For a moment nothing happened. Then part of the wall separated, revealing another smaller, but still spacious room. At the end of it, sat a solitary disc player, an accompanying disc waiting to be played. We all knew what it meant.

As one we moved into the room. With one last look at my friends, I slid the disc into place.

"**CONGRATULATIONS!" **We heard the eerily cheerful voice of Herobrine shout at us, accompanied by clapping. Somehow it managed to take away our previous happiness from defeating the boss. **"My, my, my! You are the first to defeat the Nether Boss! Good job! I had a feeling you all would make me proud!"**

"We didn't do it for you." I spat out as I glared hatefully at the disc player.

My statement was met with laughter. **"Oh, so cold! You wound me!" **He seemed to collect himself, as we heard him clear his throat. He then spoke in a controlled tone, though we could still pick out a trace of amusement in his voice. **"This is, however, the first time the Nether Boss has been defeated. How interesting…"**

"We're not just people you can mess around with like experiments!" DJ declared.

"**Really? Well, that's quite the surprise! You seemed to be quite willing so far!" **Herobrine laughed again, **"And this is all part of the game! And hey, I'm a good sport. If you win, you get rewards! If you lose…well. That won't be fun for you. Then I'll get to have MY fun!" **His laughter resumed, causing all of us to grimace.

"So why is this here? To piss us off?" I asked impatiently. I was beginning to lose my temper.

"**Well, I need to give you your hint for the next location! At the end of the road, you find a dead end. You can take the elevator there, up to glory, or down to despair, all determined by the guardian of the dead end." **Herobrine spoke, awaiting our answer. This one was probably even more obvious than the first.

"It's the End. With the Enderdragon." I answered, rolling my eyes at the obviousness of the answer. As if we could've guessed that one wrong.

"**Well, aren't you all so smart? You think you've got it all figured out, hm? But yes, that is correct." **He confirmed, sounding slightly bored. I smirked at the fact I had been able to make him show some form of disappointment. **"Anyway, it seems an unexpected mid-boss has arrived! What will our heroes do?" **Laughter followed his strange statement, just as the disc shot out just like the first time, flying across the room.

What we didn't expect was for the disc to be caught by someone. A teenager with red hair had caught the disc, wearing no armor, but odd clothes all the same. He had baggy black pants, and what seemed to be a black sheet with sleeves that was torn up in parts as it reached his waist. He held an odd sword made of obsidian, but we could see some sort of red substance in holes on the blade. He was looking down at the disc for a few moments, before turning to look at us with a glare. He crushed the disc in his hand. That was when we noticed his strange purple eyes.

"Quite the performance back there." The teenager commented in a neutral voice, still glaring. "Was that Herobrine you were talking to?"

I looked at him inquisitively, but if he was another player I supposed he had the right to know. "It was…why do you ask? Are you fighting him too?"

"Yes." The teen spoke without hesitation. "I'm going to kill him."

The way he had talked about killing so offhandedly disturbed me. I mean sure, it was Herobrine, but he sounded so emotionless when he said that. "Ah. Okay." We stared at one another for a few more moments of tense silence. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"There is." The teen responded so readily and quickly it almost seemed like he had interrupted me. "But first…what is your name?" He looked expectantly at me.

"It's Jeff." I answered, still feeling rather uneasy. "Might I ask yours?"

"My…current name, is Vile." He answered, looking down at his sword for a moment. "You see, it's something of a policy of mine to know the name of those I kill. And seeing as how you passed the Nether Boss, if I kill all you fools then Herobrine will have no choice but to confront me."

My eyes widened, "Kill? Hold on, what are you-"

One moment he was standing at the opposite end of the room and the next he was directly in front of me, bringing down that odd blade of his. It was on instinct that I raised my pickaxe, barely managing to redirect the strike with my weapon as his passed by me, directly in front of my body.

"Die."

That was the last thing I heard before my world was consumed by a blinding light, a deafening boom…

…Then it was all black.

* * *

-Andr's Point of View-

I watched, numb, as an explosion was produced from Vile's sword and enveloped Jeff, blasting him across the room and into the wall where he slammed against it with an audible thump. He stood there for a moment against the wall, before slowly sliding down it, resting on the floor, eyes closed. It was then I noticed the splatter of blood, his blood, against the wall, trailing down to where he now rested on the floor. A small puddle of the red liquid was beginning to pool around him.

All of us stood still for a few moments, stunned. Then the silence was broken.

"You…YOU BASTARD!" I turned back to see DJ lunge at the teen that had attacked Jeff, arms outstretched, gauntlets ready.

Vile frowned, "Pathetic." With that single word he teleported, appearing behind DJ, sword upraised in the same manner he had before.

"DJ! Watch out!" Sabri shouted a warning to him.

"Gah! Shit!" DJ quickly twisted around, knocking the sword to the side. He quickly brought his large gauntlets in between himself and the sword, knowing what would happen next. Sure enough, there was a blinding light and an explosion, propelling DJ back. Fortunately DJ was able to roll with the force, scrambling back to his feet. His gauntlets had been badly damaged. Even the diamond material had held off poorly against the attack, the once smooth armor jagged and torn.

"He has Ender man capabilities! Watch out!" I heard Josh warn, even as I teleported to the bloodied form that was Jeff. I heard battling behind me, the firing off blasts of flame, clanging of weapon against weapon. More concerning were the explosions I heard. But all that was second to Jeff right now. Looking down at him, I gasped. The damage was horrible…I wasn't sure if I should move him. His entire front was a bloody mess from the detonation of the sword directly in front of his chest. I couldn't tell if he was breathing over all the commotion.

"Jeff…" He couldn't be dead! After all that had happened! Not when I had just started to…

* * *

-Josh's Point of View-

"This is bad…" I commented to myself as I frantically used my redirection ability to send sword strikes and explosion alike away from us. The situation was bleak. This person, Vile, was skilled. That would have been bad enough, but the exploding sword and the teleportation made things worse. Only a minute into the combat and most of us had already suffered burns, DJ in particular whom I feared to have third degree. Hanabi had a nasty gash in her side from a sword strike, but had managed to dodge the explosion. She would have been killed if she hadn't. Glenn was attempting to protect the white haired girl, especially seeing as it was due to the fact she had taken that hit for Glenn. Sabri's chain had been destroyed in an explosion, and all she could do was try to ensnare Vile in a web. Against someone who could teleport, that was largely useless. Cupa was staying close by me, as she couldn't do much against an opponent like this. She was better at crowd control.

I glanced to the fallen form of one of my best friends, and the girl kneeling beside him looking absolutely petrified. I may as well have considered Andr out of the fight due to her worry, but I couldn't hold it against her due to the feelings I suspected she held for the teen. Obviously Jeff, one of our best if not the best fighter we had, was completely incapacitated and most likely needed treatment in short order if he were to survive.

Assuming he was still alive.

But before that this Vile had to be taken care of. As long as they were fighting him, Jeff would not be getting the help he needed. With this in mind I had even hit all of my comrades with splash potions meant to increase abilities. Even that did not do enough. How to turn the tide…?

* * *

-Vile's Point of View-

I frowned. Their leader had been dispatched, as was planned. So why were they still fighting so fiercely? It was out of necessity they fought with him, was it not? Moreover, their reactions surprised me. They all glared hatefully at me, not hesitating to go for what I knew to be lethal strikes. Not that they would come close to hitting me, of course. More worrying was the Ender woman's reaction. Why was she so worried for that boy anyway?

I shook my head as I stopped a ways away from the group for a moment. They all began to rush to where I now stood. _'It doesn't matter. There are only six currently fighting me. As long as I'm careful, they won't-' _My thoughts were abruptly cut off as pain erupted in my abdomen. Looking down, I found a blade of red diamond was protruding out of my front.

* * *

-Josh's Point of View-

I was surprised to see a new arrival sneak up behind our foe, but did not call out. If we were going to receive aid, then I was not going to complain. It was with an odd satisfaction that I saw the newcomer stab a red sword through our troublesome opponent's stomach. Vile looked down at the blade in what I guessed to be disbelief, before simply glaring at the blade, and then he was gone. He had teleported away.

I hoped he would die. Of course, I supposed it was unrealistic to be quite that optimistic. Most likely he had teleported to either allies or a plethora of potions that would heal him. Even so, I suspected he would not show up for a long time. One does not recover from being stabbed with a sword quickly, no matter the circumstance.

Despite the newcomer, there were bigger issues to take care of. I grabbed Cupa's hand and led her to where Jeff was lying; to my worry the puddle of blood grew. He needed help right now.

"Andr. Andr!" I called her firmly, as she turned to me, tears in her eyes. "I need you to help me, if we are to save Jeff." Seeing her nod, I continued. "All right. How many people can you teleport at once?" By now the rest of our group had come over, all forming a circle. If the newcomer was annoyed by being ignored he didn't show it. Instead he simply joined the circle while looking uneasily at the injured teen. I quickly checked to see if there was a pulse. In the meantime Andr answered my question.

"I can teleport myself and two others…it's a strain on me, but…" She trailed off, looking down at Jeff.

"I understand." I simply replied, as I finished checking for a pulse. I nodded, satisfied it was still there, however weak. "He's alive, but not for long if we don't do something. Andr, I need you to teleport Jeff and I back to the portal. We have to get him to my lab as soon as possible."

Andr nodded, quickly putting a hand on my shoulder and grabbing Jeff's hand. In an instant, we were at the portal. It wasn't long before I was operating on one of my best friends, a situation I had never really considered. At one point I remember asking Andr to go get Cupa, as she would be a valuable assistant and aid in this, seeing as she knew where everything was. She had arrived soon after that, and I had to command Andr to wait outside where everyone else was waiting as well. Even that teen who had helped us was there as well. I was doing the best I could, and I had never seen Cupa work so hard either. Yet his pulse was not improving.

I steeled myself. Now was no time to get frustrated. If only people were as simple as machines. All you needed was another power source and there you had it! But unfortunately there was nothing like that here. I was at the end of my rope, resigning myself to the fact I could not save one of my best friends. For all my intellect, what use was it when I couldn't save my friends? I looked up, Jeff's ruined red jacket catching my eye. Red was always his favorite color.

My eyes widened. I immediately got back to work. "Cupa!" I called, gathering my assistant's attention. She turned to me, stopping what she was doing and awaiting instruction. I smiled for the first time since the operation started.

I would NOT let my friend die. "Get me some redstone, stat!"

* * *

**A/N: **Cliffhanger! Done. That is the took-too-long-to-update chapter six. I promise the next chapter will come out soon!

Here's a list of OC's I've accepted, along with their respective creators. (Some haven't made an appearance yet.)

Jeff – Created by: Kirbboy

DJ – Created by: Kirbboy

Josh – Created by: Kirbboy

Glenn – Created by: Kirbboy

Kel'Goroth –Created by: muredin

Garvin – Created by: muredin

Jaden "Blade Fury" Silvic – Created by: TheFlamingBlade

Ariana – Created by: ShadowyReviewer

Ethan – Created by: BanesBloom

Trent Laurel – Created by: LightvsDark99

Dennis – Den51

Those are all the OC's I have accepted so far. Emphasis on the 'so far'. Previous submissions are still being considered, and of course feel free to send more submissions if you want to!

Feel free to contact me in a PM if you have concerns about any old thing.

Please review! I really want to know how I did on this chapter! No flames though, I'll just move those to the Nether.

And for my next trick, I'll make myself disappear! This is Kirbboy, over and out!


	7. Underlying Conflict

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing from Minecraft. The only things I own are my OCs, and my plot. Each OC belongs to their respective creator.

**A/N: **Hey everyone, I'm back with a new chapter! I gotta say, finding time to write is tough with all the schoolwork I have to do, but I'm still finding at least some time to write. I can't wait till summer, then I'll have plenty of time to write! I don't really have much to say, other than this is a rather interesting chapter as it shows a group alluded to in the past. Well, please enjoy! Also, drop a review telling me how I did if you wouldn't mind.

* * *

-Jaden's Point of View-

"My name is Jaden." I answered as their group and I waited outside the room where their friend, I learned his name was Jeff, was being operated on by a teen named Josh. It was beyond me how a teen would be able to save his life from such a grievous wound. It was a grim thought, but from what I had seen of the wound it looked like they would need a professional surgeon to have any hope of fixing the problem. To be honest I had hoped to meet all these people under more jovial circumstances, but it really couldn't be helped. At least they were still trying to be friendly despite the looming worry.

"Well then, Jaden." The spiky-haired teen named Glenn held out his hand. "Nice to meet you. Thanks for the help back there, by the way. We haven't really thanked you yet." He smiled, though given the situation it was clearly more forced.

I accepted the handshake with a smile of my own. "No problem." Then I felt a pang of regret, "I just wish I had been there sooner…"

Glenn shook his head. "No, you did what you could. At least you drove him off. Jeff was already in bad condition, if we had waited any longer…well, no need to think about that now." He then took a seat on the bench next to the white haired girl, glancing at the door for a few moments before turning to Hanabi and starting a conversation with the ghast girl. I was still surprised they had teamed up with mobs in the first place. Their reactions to one another were interesting as well. Glenn appeared to be talking to Hanabi about her wound, which had been bandaged up shortly after the battle. It didn't take a genius to notice Hanabi was relishing the attention; apparently she was pretty obsessed with the boy. The shorter teen, DJ, seemed to be barely containing his anger, the spider girl next to him trying to coax him into calming down. The Enderwomen Andr was the most distraught of all, hugging her legs to herself while tears threatened to fall. Obviously I wasn't as torn up seeing as how I didn't know the guy, but given the fact he led this considerably large group spoke well for his character. It would be bad if he died, especially after defeating the Nether Boss for the first time.

It was then the door opened. Out from it came Josh with gloves stained in red. Cupa stood behind him, looking quite tired. Both had tired smiles on their faces. Andr immediately went to them.

"How is Jeff? Is he okay?" She asked, still brimming with worry.

Josh was quick to assure the Enderwoman, "We managed to save him." Everyone released a breath they hadn't known they were holding, relaxing as the worries of a friend dying left them. "He's weak right now, but with a few days of rest he will have completely recovered. Additionally, there were some side effects. He may have some…new…abilities."

"Abilities?" Sabri spoke with a questioning glance, "What do you mean?"

Josh sighed, "It would be easier to explain to you the background first." he started, "If this had been the real world, it is almost certain Jeff would have died. But thanks to being in Minecraft, he wasn't technically dead, but living on half a heart."

"Half a heart? In game terms?" Glenn spoke, "Doesn't that mean he would have lived regardless?"

"No." Josh clarified, "He would have died even so, but we managed to get back here just in time. What I mean to say is that half a heart just kept him stable. As we have observed this isn't exactly like the game. Anyway, Jeff received damage equal to that of a point-blank TNT explosion. If it hadn't been for having armor points thanks to his shoulder pads, it would have killed him."

"So if I have gauntlets," DJ spoke, "then even if I get hit in the legs my gauntlet will protect me?"

Josh nodded carefully, "To…an extent. Though if someone were to swing a sword at your legs and you were wearing no leg armor, they would still undoubtedly be cut off. Wearing armor will only make you more resistant to general damage, and of course protect you from getting hurt if it is hit directly. I'm referring to explosions, falling, even lava when it comes to general protection. Don't count on lasting long in lava, though."

"I thought we were talking about Jeff's new abilities?" Hanabi pointed out our deviation from the main point.

"Right." Josh took a moment to collect his thoughts, "As I was saying, he had half a heart of life and I could not heal him with potions. I'm assuming the damage to his heart was just too much. It wasn't strong enough to pump blood properly and give him the energy he needed." Josh readjusted his glasses, "So, I had to improvise."

"Improvise?" DJ raised an eyebrow, "When you say improvise, it just makes me nervous."

Josh ignored DJ's comment. "Naturally there was nothing I could use as a power source to keep his heart pumping. But…what do we have that has consumable energy of its own?" Josh questioned, eyes sweeping over everyone.

Seeing that no one was going to say anything, I decided to give my best guess. "Redstone?" I chanced. I mean, that had electricity, right?

Josh nodded, "That is correct, mr…" he looked at me expectantly.

"Silvic." I answered for him, "Jaden Silvic. I'm the one who stabbed the teleporting guy."

"I recall. Thank you for the help." He gave me a smile of thanks before resuming his explanation. "Redstone. It was a power source, and had energy. If I could somehow combine it with Jeff, he may live. But how to do so? Then I recalled crafting. I figured I was thinking too logically…in this world, it would appear certain parts of any creature can be used to craft. Anything." Josh smirked. "So what did I do? Using Jeff's heart and redstone as ingredients, I created our created our friend's new redstone heart. It is able to hold up his energy perfectly, possibly even more effective than his original heart ever was. As a result he now has, in theory, the ability to manipulate electricity. I'm eager to test it."

"You mean to tell me he can control lightning and other stuff like that!?" DJ asked loudly, eyes wide, "Can I get that!?"

Josh gave him an exasperated look. "If you want to try and hit the sweet spot between death and damaging your heart enough to where you are on the verge of it, be my guest."

DJ smiled sheepishly while voicing a quick 'never mind'. Josh spoke up again, "Look, by all rights this shouldn't have been possible. In this world or the real one. Make no mistake, we were VERY lucky." He gave us all a hard look. "Anyway, Jeff is fine." Josh summarized, finally relaxing himself. "No strenuous activity for a few days and he'll be fine. He won't even have scars thanks to some useful potions. Actually, knowing him it might be hard to get him to take it easy…"

"Um…I'll make sure he doesn't do anything too bad." Andr spoke up, smiling lightly. She looked quite relieved after all that had happened.

Josh smiled at that. "I figured you would. He'll be waking up soon, so if you could tell him what I just explained when he does I'd appreciate it. I'm rather exhausted from the ordeal, so I think I'm just going to rest for a while."

"Oh! Is Jeff ready to see anyone yet?" Andr asked.

Josh shrugged, "I guess, though he's asleep right now so-" He began before being interrupted.

"Who's asleep?" Jeff appeared in the doorway, limping slightly and holding his bandaged chest with one hand, but otherwise just fine.

"Jeff!" Andr gasped and was suddenly by his side, hugging him tightly while crying into his chest, as if seeing him alive was the trigger for allowing her emotions to express themselves.

"Hey! Andr, what's the matter?" Jeff asked as he quickly wrapped his own arms around her form in an attempt to comfort the human mob. "What's wrong?"

Andr raised her head to look up at him, "Are you kidding? You almost died! I was so scared! If you had died I…I would never…" She broke down again as she buried her head in his chest once more, tears she had been holding in all this time flowing freely now.

Jeff smiled softly, "Hey, it's alright. I'm fine now, aren't I? Alive and healthy! Well, mostly. There's a nasty crick in my neck you see…" Andr's sobs changed to a little giggle at Jeff's attempt at joking.

"You idiot…don't make me go through that ever again, okay?" Andr asked while making a pout.

"I'll try my best." Jeff agreed.

There was a moment of silence as Andr and Jeff simply smiled at one another. It was a pretty touching moment, but regardless I still needed to make sure they remembered I was even still here.

* * *

-Jeff's Point of View-

"Excuse me?" I turned my head away from Andr to another person in the room I hadn't noticed until now. "I just wanted to know if I could join you all. My group…I mean, I don't have a group myself, and all alone…well…" He trailed off as I stared at him quizzically. Where did he come from?

Josh managed to disperse my confusion. "He is the one who drove away Vile so we could get you back here in time." Josh offered a smile. "His name is Jaden Silvic. He managed to sneak up on our aggressor and stab him." He finished his explanation as I stared at the teen, looking to be about the same age as myself.

I decided to cut right to the chase, "So, Jaden, you want to join us huh?" I asked as a smirk appeared on my face.

"Well, yeah. I mean, if that's okay." He answered, slightly unsure.

"I'd say stabbing a guy who's trying to kill us is plenty proof that you're on our side. So why not? We have plenty of room in this house anyway. It'll be nice to have one more to watch our back, and we'll watch yours in return." I held out my hand to Jaden, "Deal?"

He looked surprised by my quick acceptance for a moment, before grinning and accepting my handshake. "Sounds good to me!"

And just like that, our group increased in size once more.

* * *

-Elsewhere, Third Person Point of View-

"FIRE!" A boom echoed across the valley, a coagulation of zombies and skeletons becoming little more than dust under the massive explosion. Despite this, more mobs continued to move toward the massive moving fortress that was the resistance base, replacing those lost easily. "We need to get closer!" The same player who had commanded the shot spoke.

"We can't!" Another player called out to the speaker. "There's too many! If we move forward now, creepers will tear the ship apart! We can't handle that kind of damage!" The player explained as the other cursed under his breath.

"Well, we have to do something…!" The first mumbled as he looked over the battlefield. Various mobs littered the valley in front of the ship, far too many to count, let alone kill. It was as if for every one they killed there were two more to take their place. It didn't help that there were quite a few more creepers spread among the crowd than he liked. All were on a warpath to get to the iron and wooden construct that was the Resistance base. All the while, he noted with disgust, their ship, the ship HE commanded, was being pushed back. Without the aid of the resistance base, the outpost they were attempting to save would be overrun, and the people inside would be killed…or worse, converted. The thought made him sick.

Suddenly the ship shook, causing the captain of the base to stumble. Simultaneously, he heard an explosion that sounded far too close for comfort. "Damage report! What was that!?" He yelled over the sounds of combat.

"Creepers, captain!" Another player was quick to answer, emerging from the below decks, sweat visible on his brow.

"How did they get close enough?" The captain questioned the messenger.

"Captives escorted them here, sir! They're trying to get onboard! Two of ours…" The player didn't finish his sentence.

"Damn!" If captives showed up, there was no way they could risk pushing forward, or even stay here. It would be far too risky, and if any of Herobrine's higher-ranking lackeys decided to join the attack… "Sound the retreat! Send up a flare so Outpost Iron knows they're going to have to do a mining escape! We have no choice."

The messenger looked unsure. "But sir-"

"I know. But if we press forward, the entire resistance could be jeopardized. We have to go." This was always the hardest part of being a leader. You had to make the tough decisions no one else would. He could only hope they had bought enough time for the players stationed at the outpost to make it out.

* * *

"They're retreating. The flare is up."

"What? What do we do, then?" The two lookouts of Outpost Iron jumped down from the perch on the wall, heading to the main building.

"We evacuate. Into the caves. The mob army is still across the valley thanks to the _Gravedigger_, so we can probably escape before they can catch our trail." The first lookout explained to the other, even as they entered the base, and then to the room where the mine rested. Already six others were assembled there, the rest of the players staffed at the outpost. One of the six stepped forward, a massive war hammer of obsidian resting on his shoulder. The man looked to be in his early thirties, well built if the way he held the hammer effortlessly was anything to go by. He was the current leader of the outpost, Jerod.

"What's the situation?" Jerod asked the two as they came to a halt in front of him.

"Not good. We have to escape into the mine. The _Gravedigger _was forced to retreat." One of the lookouts reported. Despite the bad news, Jerod nodded calmly.

"Alright. No need to worry yet, we can still get out of this mess. As you said, we'll head into the mine. From there we can mine to-" Jerod didn't get a chance to finish his sentence as the wall separating the interior of the base from the exterior exploded, sending fragments of stone every which way. To the players' horror, Captives filed in, all lining the now open entrance as a player in a red and black cloak strode in, the sound of chains following his movements. He sported bright red hair, and a smile that made it seem as if he were anticipating something. Then he spoke.

"Y'know, you resistance guys are annoyingly elusive. Seriously, how am I supposed to get any excitement 'round here if you all hide in the dirt like a bunch of worms? No fun at all!" He chuckled lowly, "Whatever. At least that bastard Kel finally let me lead an attack. He's been keepin' me cooped up back at base for way too long…"

Jerod grimaced, easily recognizing the person talking before him. One of the players who decided to join Herobrine, infamous for all the death he had caused to so many innocent players. Honestly, Jerod couldn't help but wonder whether or not the malicious teen had been a killer before being sucked into the game. The demented individual had been with them for a very short time, before Herobrine had given him powers. The red haired teen then turned around and killed his resistance squad, stringing up their bodies on chains. There had been no survivors of that killing, aside from the killer himself. Killing, to him, was a game. To him, it was fun.

"Kyle…" Jerod's grip on his hammer tightened.

"Hm?" Kyle focused on the hammer wielding individual, before suddenly bursting out in maniacal laughter. "Oh wow! No way! No wonder those resistance pieces of shit were trying so hard to get here! Boy am I lucky! Looks like I get the honor of killing one of the six generals!" The demented teen brought his cloaks sleeves up, chains tipped with rune-covered knives spilling out. "This is gonna be fun! When you die…" An absolutely insane smile spread across the teen's face, "That's one step closer to killing the whole lot of you! Ha ha…HAHAHA!" He suddenly spun around, the chains flying out at the group of resistance fighters.

Jerod reacted quickly, knowing how dangerous it would be if we was hit with one of the runic knives. He swung his hammer, catching the knives and forcing them back at their owner. Kyle simply moved his arms slightly, the chains landing harmlessly back on the floor. Jerod wasted no time.

"All of you! Escape into the mine!" Jerod shouted as he dashed toward the Herobrine serving teen.

"But general…!" One of the players began to protest as they inched toward the mine.

"GO! NOW! THAT'S AN ORDER!" Jerod shouted as he swung his hammer down at Kyle, the younger player jumping over the swing. The resistance members hesitated a moment longer before running to the mine, disappearing into it in short order.

"Hey! Don't run!" Kyle called, "Don't just stand there! After 'em ya undead bastards!" He ordered the Captives, as the former players began to move to the hole.

"I don't think so!" Jerod materialized a trigger from his inventory, depressing the button on it. Immediately the roof above the mine exploded, debris blocking the entrance and crushing many of the Captives who had drawn near the mine. Kyle let out a growl as he turned back to the general.

"Oh, how heroic! Too bad…looks like you won't be around to see the people you saved die by my hand later. But that's fine by me!" Kyle tossed chains at the general once more, subtle movements of his arms changing the direction of the chains easily, moving them in intricate, precise strikes.

Yet Jerod stood firm. He expertly manipulated his hammer, deflecting the strikes with the practiced ease of a veteran, all the while slowly approaching the attacking teen. As soon as there was a break in the onslaught of chains, Jerod took the opening to charge his opponent, smashing his hammer into the villain's frame, rocketing him out of the base and into the open valley. Jerod quickly ran after him, hoping that blow had been enough. He was destined to be disappointed.

"Ouch! You hit hard." Kyle stood up from the ground just as Jerod ran to him, swinging his hammer once more. Kyle dodged the swing, using his chains to pull him away. "But I really should thank you."

Jerod glared, "For what? The broken bones?"

Kyle frowned, "I suppose in my own way…but more importantly, we're out of that cramped room, you know?"

Jerod's eyes widened, as he took a step back, realizing his folly.

"Now…I can REALLY have some fun!" Kyle laughed as hundreds of chains all flew from various openings in his cloak, all coming from different angles at the general. Jerod desperately tried to block all of them, moving rapidly, hammer flying in all directions to parry the chains. Then he tripped.

One, insignificant pebble had just killed the mighty general.

The knives cut into the hammer-wielding man's body, runes glowing as their power activated. Numerous knives impaled the man, yet he felt no pain. No blood was spilt. In fact, once it was over, there was no sign the man was hurt at all. The only notable differences were the chains extending from the general's body, all originating from joints on the man's body. Jerod lifted his head to look up at Kyle.

Kyle smiled, a smile that spoke of nothing but his intent to kill, his want, absolute _need _to inflict pain on others. But that wasn't enough. Kyle wanted his victims to see they would die, that they could do nothing to stop it. He wanted them to be like a puppet, at the mercy of his commands, to live and die all decided by him and him alone.

Unfortunately for Jerod, that's what he had become. And Kyle wanted nothing more than for him to die.

"How does it feel, Jerod, the Great Hammer of Judgment, to be unable to even so much as control your own body?" Kyle asked as he moved his arm slightly, the chains stuck in Jerod's joints forcing the man to raise his hammer above his own head. Jerod looked up at the weapon.

That was what Kyle lived for. That look of utter hopelessness and _fear _was what he lived for. Smiling maniacally, Kyle moved his chains, forcing Jerod's arm to bring his own hammer down on his head. Again and again the hammer was brought down on the man's body, reducing him to nothing more than a puddle of red liquid, bits of bone floating inside. It was upon that sight Kyle lifted his head into the air, laughing up at the moon high above him. A look of pure bliss on the killer's face.

Jerod, one of the generals of the resistance, was now dead.

* * *

-Some time later, Jeff's Point of View-

"Ah, finally! It sucked being bed ridden for so long!" I stretched my arms as I stood outside our house, gratefully accepting the warmth of the sun.

"You were only stuck for about three days." Josh pointed out as I directed a dry look at him.

"Well," I began, crossing my arms, "I'll have you know it was extremely boring! Thankfully Andr was there so at least I had some sort of saving grace." I flashed a smile at the Ender woman beside me, whom blushed slightly while giving me a smile of her own.

"I'm just happy I could be of some help to you…" Andr replied, blush intensifying. Josh rolled his eyes.

"That's enough flirting you two." I turned to him to protest, but he held up hid hand to silence me. "Right now, we have important matters to attend to. Let's focus on that, shall we?"

"Ah…right." I mumbled, sure my face was red from embarrassment. I shook my head, trying to dispel other thoughts and focus on the task ahead. "Alright, so what do I do?"

Josh seemed to think for a moment, "First of all, do you feel any different? Anything out of the ordinary from how you were before?"

I thought about that. "There is a feeling of…something. Like a build up of energy, or something. It's not unnatural to me, or at least doesn't feel that way. It just feels…I don't know, like it belongs there." I tried to explain the odd presence I felt since the operation.

"As I assumed then," Josh nodded his head. "In that case, I want you to focus on that feeling. Try to draw it out."

I raised an eyebrow at him, "Draw it out? That's specific." I rolled my eyes. How was I supposed to work with that? I felt it, sure, but how was I supposed to draw it out?

"Try meditating." Josh suggested.

"Meditating?" I gave him a look that was most certainly displeased. "You're kidding, right? This isn't some anime…"

Josh shrugged in response, "Do you see an alternative? You need to focus on that feeling to draw it out. That's the only option we have available at this time, anyway. So it would appear you have no choice."

I frowned, "Fine. It would be pretty useful to have that kind of power. I still don't think this is going to do much, though…" I mumbled, seating myself on the grass as I closed my eyes. I heard Andr take a seat as well, so I simply assumed she had decided to sit and watch me. Josh didn't say a thing, and I didn't hear him move at all. In the end I concluded it didn't matter where he was and I was a little bitter he was forcing me to sit still doing nothing, when I could be doing so useful. But I 'meditated' anyway, trying to get a feel for the presence inside me and use it somehow. I had no idea how to actually do that, but I figured it would suddenly become clear to me if I could figure out just what it was. And so I waited…

…

…

…

…And waited…

…

…

…

…And waited…

…

…

…

…And waited some more…

…

…

…

…Okay, this was getting ridiculous…

…

…

…

…Eventually I decided I was sick of sitting still, doing absolutely nothing. Not to mention I'm pretty sure I looked pretty stupid like this. With that thought in mind I opened my eyes, turning to Andr to see if there was anything she wanted to do. It was then I noticed that she had apparently been staring intently at me the whole time I had sat here, seemingly deep in thought.

Of course, far more concerning was the Creeper that had just walked behind her and was beginning to hiss in a manner I did not find too comforting.

'"Andr!" I shouted to the girl, stretching an arm towards her. She was broken out of her apparently deep musing to look at me with surprise, apparently unsure as to why I was so worried. That was when a bolt of electricity shot out of my hand, hitting the Creeper dead-on and propelling it back into a tree where it exploded, rendering the once proud oak a stump. Andr turned to look at where the Creeper had exploded before turning to look at me with wide eyes. I simply pulled back my arm to stare at my sparking hand. Did I seriously just do that?

"…Huh." I pointed at another target, a tree, and concentrated on the surge of power I had felt when I had launched that previous bolt of lightning. Sure enough, another blast of electricity extended from my hand to hit the tree dead on, not destroying it but certainly dealing damage. I smirked.

"Jeff! That was amazing!" I turned to see a smiling Andr running at me, before wrapping her arms around my neck in an embrace. I returned the gesture, circling my arms around her as well.

"I guess I did…" I mumbled, still surprised by my apparent new ability. It was then I remembered the circumstances surrounding how I had managed to discover just how to use it. "Andr." I moved her so that I could look her in the eyes, fixing the Ender girl with a stern gaze. "You need to be more aware of your surroundings."

She blushed wildly, embarrassed that she had been caught in danger so easily, "I-it's not my fault! You were sitting there and I got distracted staring at you and started thinking about how-" Andr suddenly stopped speaking, turning even redder than before. She buried her head in my chest, trying to hide her blush from me. I laughed, thinking that she was very cute whenever she got flustered like that. Of course that thought got me thinking about my confusion on my feelings for the girl I was currently embracing, and I was pretty certain my face got a bit red due to it. I was just thankful that Andr was too busy trying to hide her embarrassment to notice it.

* * *

-DJ's Point of View-

"So, what are your skills?" I asked, directing an inquisitive gaze through the glasses I had 'borrowed' at the teen sitting across from me. Jaden shifted in his seat, looking slightly nervous, though still smiling regardless.

"Ah…well, I'm pretty good with a sword." He gestured to the red blade at his side.

I spared the sword a glance before asking another question. "Mhm…Are you a delinquent?"

"What?" Jaden looked confused.

"Well, you're wearing a hoodie and combat boots. Clearly delinquent wear." I specified, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

He looked miffed, "You're wearing a hoodie too!"

"That may be, but I'm not a delinquent." I responded easily.

"Well neither am I!" Jaden declared.

"Quite the vehement denial," I observed, "Could it be you are trying to hide a shady past?"

"Just what are you insinuating!?" Jaden questioned. He then relaxed in his seat, smiling. I raised an eyebrow at the shift in attitude. "I get it. You're just mad that I'm a nice, regular height when you're so short…"

I jumped from my seat, raising a fist menacingly, "WHAT WAS THAT!? CALLING ME SO SHORT THAT YOU WOULD MISTAKE ME FOR A GRAIN OF SAND!? I-" I suddenly felt an impact on my head as I stumbled forward, the glasses I had been wearing swiftly removed from my face. I turned to see that it was Josh who had interrupted me.

"Stop messing with Jaden, there are better ways to spend your time." Josh ordered, when he suddenly glared at me, "And might I ask why you stole my glasses?"

"Not stole, borrowed." I corrected, regaining my balance, "I was going to return them! I just needed to use 'em for a bit."

"For this?" Josh asked.

"That's right!" I confirmed.

"You're an idiot." Josh declared, turning to Jaden. "Anyway, Jaden, your room is down the hallway, follow me." Josh ordered, walking to the rooms with Jaden moving to follow him. They simply left me there to feel slightly annoyed that my fun was interrupted.

I crossed my arms, frowning. "You're the idiot…"

* * *

**A/N: **So that's it for this chapter. I thought it was pretty good, what with seeing the resistance and another of Herobrine's cronies. I'll try to get the next chapter soon.

Here's the list of accepted OCs:

Jeff – Created by: Kirbboy

DJ- Created by: Kirbboy

Josh – Created by: Kirbboy

Glenn – Created by: Kirbboy

Kel'Goroth – Created by: muredin

Garvin – Created by: muredin

Jaden "Blade Fury" Silvic – Created by: The FlamingBlade

Ariana – Created by: ShadowyReviewer

Ethan – Created by: BanesBloom

Trent Laurel – Created by: LightvsDark99

Dennis – Created by: Den51

These are the OCs accepted so far. I'm still willing to accept more, so if you have any ideas feel free to leave it in a review or PM. Additionally, I may add a chapter dedicated to OCs in the fanfiction detailing everything from their personality to combat abilities. It would be updated with information and more OCs as it becomes apparent. Do you guys think that's a good idea?

Anyway, please review! Reviews are what keep me going and wanting to write!

This is Kirbboy, over and out!


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